SEYMOUR  DURST 


'  Tort  nletiw  ^im^erjam       Je  lAatJiatarus 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  heen  said 
"Ever'ihing  comes  t'  him  who  watts 

Except  a  loaned  hook." 


^1 


Avery  Arc  hitectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


?7 


#4 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/lastmunicipaladmOObroo 


BROOKLYN  CITY  HALL,  189 


The 


Last  Municipal  Administration 
of  Brooklyn 

REVIEW  OF  THE  WORK  ACCOMPLISHED  UNDER 

MAYOR  F.  W.  WURSTER 

Brief  Reports  from  the  Various  Departments 
Details  of  Public  Improvements  Secured 
IN  1896  and  1897 


BROOKLYN 
Eagle  book  printing  Department 

1897 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Chief  Events  of  Public  Importance  .    5-32 

Department  of  F  inance   33~3^ 

Department  of  Collection   37-40 

Department  of  Arrears   4I--45 

Department  of  Law     47-53 

Department  of  Assessment   55-6i 

Department  of  Police  and  Excise   63-72 

Department  of  Health     73-82 

Department  of  Fire                                                                        .  .  S3-89 

Department  of  Buildings   91-94 

Department  of  City  Works    95-108 

Department  of  Parks   109-113 

Civil  Service  Commission   11 5-120 


CHIEF  EVENTS  OF  PUBLIC  IMPORTANCE 
DURING  THE  ADMINISTRATION 
OF  MAYOR  WURSTER. 


Mayor's  Office,  Brooklyn,  X.  Y., 
December  23,  1897. 

The  fact  that  the  city  of  Brooklyn  ends  its  official  life  as  an 
individual  municipality  at  midnight  of  December  31,  1897, 
renders  of  especial  value  a  record  of  what  has  been  done  by  the 
last  municipal  administration.  In  this  connection,  I  present 
herewith  a  brief  review  of  the  salient  features  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  which  I  have  had  the  honor  to  be  the  head.  I  would 
like  to  take  this  opportunity  to  express  my  thanks  to  those 
who  have  ably  co-operated  with  me  in  the  work  of  giving  good 
government  to  the  people  of  Brooklyn.  We  have  been  embar- 
rassed bv  conditions  growing  out  of  the  management  of  affairs 
previous  to  189-t,  and  especially  by  the  lack  of  means  to  carry 
on  public  works  of  the  first  magnitude.  But  much  has  been 
accomplished  for  the  permanent  good  of  thecity  and  its  people. 

One  of  the  important  matters  first  presented  for  mv  con- 
sideration after  taking  ofhce  was  that  of  consolidation  with 
New  York.  The  scheme  had  advanced  beyond  the  tentative 
stage  in  which  an  expression  of  opinion  upon  the  subject  had 
been  made  by  the  people  at  the  polls,  and  a  slight  majority  in 
favor  secured  in  our  city.  When  the  bill  providing  for  the  con- 
solidating into  one  community  of  the  great  stretch  of  territory 
embracing  not  only  the  entire  counties  of  New  Y^ork,  Kings  and 
Richmond,  but  also  considerable  portions  of  Queens  and  West- 
chester, had  been  passed  by  the  Legislature,  I  gave  a  series  of 
])ublic  hearings  upon  it,  at  which  full  cx])ression  of  o])inion  for 
and  against  the  measure  was  secured.  The  result  was  that 
after  hearing  all  that  could  be  said  and  giving  careful  consider- 
ation to  everv  argument,  I  decided  on  behalf  of  the  citv  of 
Brooklyn  not  to  accept  the  bill. 


6 


My  conclusions  arc  set  fortli  in  the  lollowin^  conininnica- 
tion  to  the  Legislature  : 

Mayor's  Okkice,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  April  9,  1S96. 
To  the  Honorable,  the  Lei^islaticre  of  the  State  of  New  Yo7-k  : 

In  behalf  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  I  return  herewith  Senate  Bill  No.  825,  en- 
titled, "  An  act  consolidating  the  local  governments  of  the  territory  within  the 
city  and  county  of  New  York,  the  counties  of  Kings  and  Richmond  and  Long 
Island  City,  and  the  towns  of  Newtown,  Flushing  and  Jamaica  and  part  of  the 
town  of  Hempstead  in  the  county  of  Queens,  and  providing  for  the  preparation 
of  bills  for  enactment  into  laws  for  the  government  thereof." 

It  is  not  essential  to  the  well  being  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  that  consolidation 
should  be  had  with  the  other  cities  and  towns  referred  to  in  this  bill  irrespective 
of  terms  or  conditions.  If  Brooklyn  is  to  receive  any  benefit  from  consolidation 
it  must  be  from  a  consolidation  consummated  and  complete,  that  shall  insure  to 
her  full  and  equal  rights,  privileges  and  benefits  with  every  other  portion  of  the 
territory  affected  by  the  bill.  The  only  thing  that  the  bill  under  consideration 
certainly  accomplishes,  so  far  as  the  city  of  Brooklyn  is  concerned,  is  that  on 
the  first  day  of  January,  1898,  it  shall  be  united  in  name  only  with  the  city  of 
New  York.  Until  further  legislation  is  had  and  other  acts  are  passed  the  local 
administration  and  government  of  the  territories  mentioned  in  section  one  of 
this  act  are  to  continue  as  at  present. 

It  is  true  that  the  bill  provides  for  the  appointment  of  a  commission  which 
shall,  on  or  before  February  1,  1897,  prepare  and  submit  to  the  Legislature  bills 
which,  when  enacted,  shall  provide  a  government  for  the  enlarged  municipality. 
The  fact  that  it  is  provided  that  this  commission  shall  from  time  to  time  report 
to  the  Legislature  its  recommendations  and  submit  bills  embodying  such  recom- 
mendations makes  it  entirely  possible,  if  not  probable,  that  no  charter  ever  will 
be  submitted  as  a  complete  instrument,  but  rather  a  series  of  separate  bills,  each 
of  which  shall  be  subject  to  future  legislative  action. 

Even  though  the  act  under  consideration  does  provide  that  such  bills  shall 
provide,  among  other  things,  for  attaining  an  equal  and  uniform  rate  of  taxa- 
tion and  of  valuation  for  the  purpose  of  taxation,  there  is  no  assurance  that  the 
bill  providing  for  this  will  not  be  rejected,  although  all  the  other  bills  submitted 
should  pass.  It  would  certainly  not  be  a  wise  and  prudent  business  transaction 
for  the  owner  of  a  valuable  piece  of  property  to  sign  the  contract  to  sell  the 
same  and  provide  that  the  title  should  be  absolutely  transferred  at  a  certain  date 
in  the  future,  for  a  price  and  upon  terms  and  conditions  which  should  be  fixed 
by  some  third  person  over  whose  acts  he  had  no  control.  I  cannot  reconcile  it 
with  my  ideas  of  that  which  should  constitute  a  business  administration  of  the 
affairs  of  this  city  to  consent  that  her  rights,  property  and  franchises  shall  be 
disposed  of  in  a  similar  way. 

In  behalf  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  I  cannot  accept  this  bill,  because  serious 
legal  complications  may  arise  growing  out  of  its  adoption.  Lender  the  provi- 
sions of  the  constitution  (Article  III.,  Section  26)  there  shall  be  in  the  several 
counties,  except  in  cities  whose  boundaries  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  county, 


7 


a  board  of  supervisors.  If  this  bill  should  become  a  law,  and  under  it  consol- 
idation should  be  effected,  the  boundaries  of  this  enlarged  city  would  not  be  the 
same  as  those  of  any  of  the  counties  comprised  within  it. 

After  considerable  effort,  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  which  took  effect  on 
January  ist  of  this  year,  under  the  authority  conferred  by  the  section  of  the  con- 
stitution above  quoted,  the  board  of  supervisors  in  Kings  County  was  abolished. 
It  certainly  would  be  most  disastrous  to  the  interests  of  good  and  economical  gov- 
ernment to  have  that  board  and  the  old  forms  of  county  government  restored  to 
life.  This  objection  cannot  be  dismissed  with  the  suggestion  that  laws  can  be 
passed  to  obviate  this  difficulty.  It  is  at  least  doubtful  whether  anything  short 
of  a  constitutional  amendment  will  avert  this  danger.  If  this  is  necessary,  un- 
der the  most  favorable  circumstances,  this  constitutional  amendment  could  not 
become  operative  until  the  isi  of  January,  1900,  just  two  years  after  it  is  con- 
templated that  under  the  first  section  of  the  bill  under  consideration  consolida- 
tion shall  take  place. 

In  behalf  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  I  cannot  accept  this  bill,  because  it  con- 
tains not  provisions  requiring  the  terms  and  conditions  of  consolidation  to  be 
submitted  to  the  people.  If  it  be  true  American  doctrine  that  governments 
derive  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  government,  then,  unless  the 
consent  has  already  been  given,  it  would  be  unjust  to  deprive  a  municipality  of 
her  independent  and  separate  existence  until  such  consent  shall  be  obtained. 

In  1S94  an  act  was  passed  to  submit  to  a  vote  of  the  duly  qualified  electors  of 
the  territory  described  in  it  the  question  of  its  consolidation  under  one  munici- 
pal government.  By  the  provisions  of  this  act  it  was  declared  that  the  ballots 
cast,  except  in  the  city  of  New  York,  should  be  deemed  and  taken  as  an  expres- 
sion of  the  voter,  as  the  case  might  be,  in  favor  of  or  against  consolidation  with 
that  city.  Prior  to  that  election  a  commission  appointed  under  an  act  passed  in 
iSgo  to  consider  the  expediency  of  consolidation  published  a  circular,  which  was 
distributed  among  the  voters  of  this  city,  which  contained  the  following  state- 
ment:  "  Electors  will  please  observe  that  this  vote  amounts  to  nothing  more 
than  a  simple  expression  of  opinion  oh  the  general  subject  of  consolidation.  It 
is  merely  the  gathering  of  the  sentiments  of  the  electors  of  each  municipality 
advisory  as  to  future  proceedings,  and  if  every  ballot  in  the  city  or  town  were 
cast  in  favor  of  consolidation  there  would  be  no  finality  about  it." 

I  do  not  think  it  would  be  just  or  fair  to  consider  the  vote  obtained  under 
such  circumstances  as  a  final  and  irrevocable  determination  on  the  part  of  the 
people  of  this  city  in  favor  of  consolidation  on  any  terms  or  under  conditions 
that  might  be  offered.  The  Legislature  which  passed  the  bill  now  under  consid- 
eration manifestly  did  not  so  construe  it,  for  they  appointed  a  committee  at  the 
beginning  of  the  session  to  sit  in  this  city  and  endeavor  to  ascertain  the  wishes 
of  the  people  on  this  subject.  If  it  had  been  supposed  that  these  wishes  had 
already  been  referred  to,  further  inquiry  on  the  subject  would  not  only  have 
been  unnecessary,  but  of  doubtful  propriety.  Through  such  hearings  as  were 
held  by  the  legislative  committee,  and  as  have  been  held  before  me,  pursuant  to 
the  provisions  of  the  constitution,  I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  possible,  fairly 
and  accurately,  to  determine  the  wishes  of  one  million,  one  hundred  thousand 
people  residing  in  this  city,  nor  do  I  think  that  they  could  be  determined  in 


8 


any  other  way  than  by  a  vote  whieli  shall  he  understood  by  all  parlies  to  be  final 
and  conclusive. 

Under  favorable  conditions  and  on  fair  terms  consolidation  of  the  munici- 
palities referred  to  in  this  bill  may  be  of  decided  benefit;  but  until  a  bill  shall 
be  prepared  defining  the  terms  and  conditions  of  consolidation,  which  shall  be 
submitted  to  the  peo])le  for  their  approval  or  rejection,  I  cannot  feel  that  justice 
will  be  done  to  this  city. 

I  beg  leave  to  return  herewith  the  bill  above  referred  to,  and  to  respectfully 
advise  you,  in  behalf  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  that  the  city  has  not  accepted  the 
same.  Respectfully, 

F.  W.  WURSTER, 

Mayo?'  of  the  City  of  B?  ooklyn. 

But  the  Legislature  passed  the  bill  again  and  Governor 
Morton  gave  it  his  approval,  it  the  Commission  to  draft 
the  Charter  for  the  new  city  was  constituted,  and  bv  virtue 
of  my  office  I  was  made  a  member  thereof.  To  the  duties 
thus  imposed  I  gave  much  attention,  and  sought  in  every  wa\' 
to  have  the  rights  of  the  residents  of  what  will  hereafter 
be  called  the  Borough  of  Brookhm  preserved.  Much  was 
accomplished,  but  not  all  I  designed,  especially  in  e([ualizing 
the  salaries  of  employees. 

When  the  new  Charter  had  been  passed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture, the  cjuestion  of  its  acceptance  by  the  city  came  before 
me.  Realizing  that  by  the  Act  of  Consolidation  we  were  to 
be  united  with  New  York  by  January  1st,  and  that  if  a 
charter  was  not  secured  by  the  action  of  the  Legislattire  there 
would  be  endless  confusion,  I  felt  constrained  to  accept  the 
Charter  despite  the  defects  due  to  the  limited  time  allotted  to 
its  preparation.  M}^  views  upon  the  subject  are  fulK^  set  forth 
in  the  accompanying  memorandum  to  the  Legislature,  which 
re-passed  the  Charter,  despite  the  non-acceptance  of  the  citv 
of  New  York : 

Mayor's  Office,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  April  S,  1897. 
To  the  Honorable,  the  Legislatni'e  of  the  State  of  New  York  : 

I  return  herewith  Assembly  Bill  No.  1,700,  entitled,  "An  act  to  unite  in  one 
municipality  under  the  corporate  name  of  the  City  of  New  York,  the  various 
communities  lying  in  and  about  New  York  harbor,  including  the  city  and 
county  of  New  York,  the  city  of  Brooklyn  and  the  county  of  Kings,  the  cotinty 
of  Richmond  and  part  of  the  county  of  Queens,  and  to  provide  for  the  govern- 
ment thereof, "  with  the  statement  that  the  city  of  Brooklyn  has  accepted  the  same. 


9 


Whether  a  consohdation  of  all  of  the  municipal  corporations  in  the  territory 
above  referred  to  (including  the  city  of  Brooklyn)  with  the  city  of  New  York  is 
desirable  or  wise,  is  not  an  open  question.  On  the  iith  day  of  May,  i8q6,  the 
people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  acting  through  its  Legislature  with  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Governor,  determined,  against  the  objection  of  the  city  of 
Brooklyn,  expressed  as  provided  in  the  constitution,  that  such  consolidation 
should  take  place  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1S98.  Present  action  should  be 
controlled  by  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  after  that  date  there  will  be  a  new 
municipal  corporation  comprising  all  of  the  territory  described.  Unless  a  char- 
ter for  the  government  of  this  corporation  is  adopted  by  this  Legislature,  at  the 
date  named,  within  tins  territory  at  least  five  different  systems  of  local  admin- 
istration and  government  will  exist,  independent  and.  in  many  respects,  inhar- 
monious. It  is  difficult  to  foretell  what  result  would  follow  such  a  condition  of 
affairs. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  (Article  XIL,  Section  2)  special  city 
laws  shall  not  be  passed  except  in  the  manner  therein  prescribed.  After  any 
bill  for  a  special  city  law  has  been  passed  by  the  Legislature  a  certified  copy 
thereof  must  be  sent  to  the  mayor  of  the  city  to  which  it  relates,  who  shall 
thereafter  return  it  with  his  certificate,  stating  whether  the  city  has  accepted 
the  same  or  not.  After  January  i,  1S9S,  will  the  municipal  corporation  in  the 
territory  named  be  a  city  or  will  it  not?  If  it  is  a  city,  to  whom,  as  the  Mayor 
of  such  city,  shall  bills  relating  to  it  be  sent  ?  If  to  each  person  elected  as  the 
chief  officer  in  the  different  portions  thereof,  and  there  is  a  want  of  harmony 
in  their  action,  what  result  would  follow?  If  this  new  municipal  corporation  is 
not  a  city,  because  it  has  no  charter  providing  for  its  government,  then  are  the 
inhabitants  of  this  territory  to  be  deprived  of  the  protection  of  this  constitu- 
tional provision,  and  may  a  Legislature  pass  laws  relating  to  its  property  and 
affairs  without  reference  to  any  local  authority  ?  Instances  might  be  multiplied, 
but  it  is  necessary  in  order  to  avoid  chaos  that  the  best  charter  obtainable 
should  be  adopted  before  the  corporate  life  of  this  municipality  begins. 

The  bill  which  I  return  herewith  may  not  be  free  from  defects.  I  believe 
that  it  ought  to  provide,  among  other  things,  for  commissioners  in  the  Borough 
of  Brooklyn,  to  succeed  the  present  heads  of  departments  in  this  city,  whose 
powers  in  that  territory  should  be  equal  to  that  now  exercised  by  such  heads  of 
departments,  and  that  all  persons  performing  similar  duties  in  all  parts  of  the 
annexed  territory  should  receive  like  compensation.  But  in  the  main  it  is  fair, 
equitable  and,  I  believe,  practicable.  The  risk  at  this  stage  of  the  legislative 
session  of  returning  such  a  bill  unaccepted  because  of  defects  minor  in  their 
character,  or  because  of  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  wisdom  of  some  of  its 
provisions,  seems  to  me  to  be  so  great  that  ordinary  prudence  dictates  its 
acceptance.  One  system  of  government  throughout  the  entire  territory  is 
better  than  several  systems,  each  affecting  different  portions  thereof.  I  believe 
that  confidence  may  be  reposed  in  succeeding  Legislatures,  to  remedy  defects 
as  they  may  be  found  to  exist  when  the  Charter  is  put  into  practical  operation. 

Respectfully, 

F.  W.  WURSTER, 

Mayor  of  the  City  0/  Brooklyn. 

2 


lO 


Many  other  legislative  matters  came  before  me  during  the 
sessions  of  189G  and  1897,  and  to  all  I  gave  the  utmost 
consideration,  listening  to  all  that  was  presented  at  the  ])ublic 
hearings  upon  them.  There  were  in  all  2()1  Brooklvn  measures 
passed  by  the  Legislature  in  the  two  years ;  31  of  them  I  dis- 
approved, and  183  became  laws,  the  Governor  failing  to  sign 
the  rest.  In  1896  there  were  39  bills  to  exempt  certain  streets 
for  the  operation  of  railroads  which  became  laws.  There 
were  nearly  as  many  introduced  in  1897,  and  I  approved  of  all 
of  them,  but  Governor  Black  refused  to  sign  any  save  one. 

My  general  knowledge  of  affairs,  and  particularly  my  ex- 
perience as  Commissioner  of  Fire,  immediately  preceding  my 
entrance  upon  the  duties  of  Mayor,  caused  me  to  realize  the  im- 
portance of  watching  with  care  the  doings  of  the  Legislature. 
It  appeared  to  me  that  there  should  be  a  thorough  and  sys- 
tematic examination  of  all  bills  introduced  in  order  to  de- 
termine which  of  them  affected  the  interests  of  the  city;  that 
pro]ier  efforts  should  be  made  to  defeat  or  retard  those 
which  were  thoroughlv  bad  in  subject  matter  or  iri  ]:)rinci])le ; 
to  amend  those  which  were  good  in  intent,  but  imperfect  in 
form,  and  to  cause  to  be  introduced  and  advanced  to  final 
passage  such  bills  as  were  required  for  the  good  government 
of  the  city. 

I  accordingly  directed  the  attention  of  the  Corporation 
Counsel  to  this  subject.  He  immediately  organized  his  office  to 
that  end,  an  assistant  being  placed  in  charge  of  the  matter, 
who  attended  tlie  sessions  of  the  Legislature,  appearing  be- 
fore the  Committees,  and  presenting  the  views  of  the  city 
officers  upon  pending  bills.  While  this  entailed  a  large  amount 
of  additional  labor  upon  the  Corporation  Counsel  and  his 
office,  I  feel  that  the  results  acconi])lished  warranted  all  the 
attention  bestowed  upon  the  matter. 

Among  the  important  bills  specifically  affecting  the  city 
which  became  laws  during  the  years  1896  and  1897  are  the 
following: 

The  bills  providing  for  the  Greater  New  York  and  the  Greater 


1 1 

New  York  Charter;  amending  the  Charter  in  relation  to  the 
disposition  of  excise  money,  and  providing  that  the  greater 
part  thereof  should  be  paid  into  the  Revenue  Ftuid,  by  author- 
ity of  which  the  Revenue  T^und  has  been  largely  increased  bv 
sums  received  under  the  Liquor  Tax  Law ;  providing  for  the 
abatement  of  nuisances  m  and  about  Newtown  Creek;  amend- 
ing the  Count\'  Law  relative  to  the  construction  and  mainte- 
nance of  bridges  over  Newtown  Creek ;  relating  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Wallabout  Market  lands ;  relating  to  a  State  tax 
levy  of  $224,780  upon  the  city  of  Brooklyn  for  unpaid  portion 
of  the  Kings  County  tax  of  1873,  which  after  a  vigorous  contest 
was  compromised  so  as  to  settle  the  account  against  the 
County  of  Kings  remaining  upon  the  books  of  the  State 
Comptroller  for  the  sum  of  $95,937.85  to  be  paid  in  three  in- 
stallments, thus  saving  to  the  city  upward  of  $128,000; 
making  the  roadways  on  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  Bridge 
free  to  bicycle  riders  ;  authorizing  the  asphalting  of  Glenniore 
avenue  and  the  construction  of  a  return  bicycle  path  and  side- 
walks upon  each  side  of  the  Ocean  Parkway  ;  providing  for  the 
establishment  of  the  Boys'  Disciplinary  Training  School;  for 
the  improvement  of  the  City  Hall ;  to  provide  a  floating  bath 
for  the  Sixth  Ward ;  providing  for  the  appointment  of  the 
Atlantic  Avenue  Commissioners,  followed  by  the  Atlantic 
Avenue  Improvement  bill,  based  upon  the  report  of  the  Com- 
missioners ;  authorizing  the  annual  issue  of  $500,000  in  bonds 
for  the  re-pavement  of  streets  and  highways  instead  of  $250,- 
000,  as  theretofore ;  vesting  the  care  and  control  of  the  Shore 
Driveway  in  the  Commission  appointed,  until  the  completion  of 
their  work  ;  reorganizing  the  Inebriates'  Home  ;  the  re-paving 
of  Leonard  street  and  Albany  avenue  with  asphalt;  widening 
of  the  approach  to  the  ferries  at  the  foot  of  Grand  street ;  au- 
thorizing the  city  to  finally  acquire  the  Brooklyn  and  Jamaica 
Plank  Road;  authorizing  the  issue  in  1897  of  $500,000  for 
school  purposes ;  authorizing  the  city  of  New  York  to  issue 
$2,500,000  of  bonds  for  school  ])ur])oses  in  the  Borough  of 
Brooklyn;  for  the  erection  and  equipment  of  two  high  schools; 


12 


in  rcrcrcnco  to  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  piiblie 
li])rar_v;  atithorizint>-  the  eity  to  set  aj^art  and  transfer  site  for 
])ul)lie  Hbrary;  to  provide  for  the  esta1)Hshment  of  a  l)otanie 
garden  ;  authorizing"  the  Mayor,  Comptroller  and  Corporation 
Counsel  to  eom promise  aetions  to  whieh  the  city  is  a  party 
under  authority  of  whieh  the  long  standing  Litchfield  litiga- 
tion was  terminated  by  the  payment  to  the  city  of  $470, ()()(); 
regulating  the  carriage  of  i)assengers  across  the  New  York  and 
Brookhm  Bridge;  relating  to  the  New  East  River  Bridge;  and 
repealing  the  Second  avenue  imi^rovement  ])reviouslv  author- 
ized by  the  Legislature. 

The  removal  of  the  tracks  of  the  Long  Lsland  Railroad 
from  the  surface  of  Atlantic  avenue  was  early  brought  to  my 
attention  as  one  of  the  best  ])ossible  things  for  the  entire  city, 
and  I  promoted  the  project  in  every  way.  Early  in  the  session 
of  the  Legislature  in  LS9()  a  bill  was  j^assed  authorizing  me 
to  appoint  a  commission  of  five  residents  of  the  citv  to  ex- 
amine and  report  a  plan  for  the  relief  and  improvement  of 
Atlantic  avenue.  As  such  Commissioners  I  named  Eugene  G. 
Blackford,  Edward  IL  Hobbs,  Edward  P.  Linton,  William  E. 
Phillips  and  Walter  M.  Meserole.  They  formulated  a  plan, 
and  under  the  provisions  of  the  act  I  had  a  bill  pre])ared  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  out  this  and  introduced  in  the  Legis- 
lature last  winter.  As  soon  as  this  became  a  law  I  re-ap- 
])ointed  the  same  Commission,  adding  to  them  Messrs.  Will- 
iam H.  Baldwin,  Jr.,  and  Charles  M.  Pratt,  of  the  Long 
Island  Railroad  Com])anv,  to  carry  out  its  provisions.  The 
depression  of  the  tracks  now  upon  the  surface  for  the  greater 
]:>art  of  the  length  of  the  street,  together  with  their  elevation 
for  a  short  distance,  is  provided  for  by  the  law,  and  the  city's 
share  in  the  cost  of  the  same  is  not  to  exceed  $1,250,000. 
In  connection  with  the  removal  of  steam  from  the  surface  it 
was  planned  by  the  railroad  company  to  secure  ra])id  transit 
to  the  heart  of  New  York  by  a  tunnel  from  the  i)resent  ter- 
minus of  the  surface  road.  To  carry  this  out,  a  com])any  was 
formed  which  sought  the  right  to  construct  the  tunnel  from 


13 


the  Common  Council.  When  the  matter  had  been  ])en(liniLi-  for 
some  time  before  that  body,  I  urged  that  action  be  taken  at 
once  in  the  following  communication  : 

Mayor's  Offick,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December  (>,  iSoy. 
To  the  Honorable,  tJie  Coni/non  CoiDicil  : 

Gentlemen. — I  desire  to  direct  your  especial  attention  to  the  importance 
of  the  matter  pending  before  3'ou,  relative  to  the  application  of  the  Brooklyn, 
New  York  and  Jersey  City  Terminal  Railway  Company  for  permission  to  con- 
struct a  tunnel  railroad  from  Flatbush  and  Atlantic  avenues  to  the  East 
River. 

You  are  famihar  with  the  repeated  efforts  to  relieve  the  surface  of  Atlantic 
avenue  in  our  city  from  the  operation  of  a  steam  railroad.  For  many  years 
this  has  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  desirable  things  for  the  benefit  of 
Brooklyn.  There  has  been  unanimous  agreement  that  this  would  be  the  most 
beneficial,  not  only  to  the  immediate  vicinity,  which  would  experience  great  re- 
lief, but  also  for  the  portions  of  the  city  divided  by  the  operation  of  frequent 
trains  on  the  railroad  and  the  necessity  of  having  crossings  closed  by  gates. 
The  entire  city  would  be  the  gainer  by  the  increased  valuation  of  property,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  freedom  from  danger  incident  to  the  use  of  steam  upon  the 
surface.  The  result  of  the  continued  agitation  of  the  subject  was  the  creation 
of  a  commission  by  the  Legislature  two  years  ago,  which  devised  a  plan  for  the 
removal  of  the  railroad  tracks  from  the  surface,  so  as  to  give  the  city  just 
what  it  has  so  long  wanted. 

But  directly  connected  with  this  plan  for  restoring  the  surface  of  Atlantic 
avenue  to  the  people  of  our  great  city  is  the  projected  tunnel  from  the  terminus 
of  the  Long  Island  Railroad  to  and  beneath  the  East  Riv^er,  so  that  cars  can  be 
run  to  the  heart  of  the  business  center  of  New  York  at  a  rapid  rate  of  speed. 
This  will  afford  quick  transit  to  a  large  section  of  our  city  and  adjacent  regions 
to  be  embraced  in  the  Greater  New  York.  The  right  to  build  this  tunnel  is  de- 
sired in  order  to  carry  out  the  proposed  depression  of  the  surface  tracks  in 
Atlantic  avenue.    The  two  projects  stand  or  fall  together. 

It  is  proposed  to  spend  from  1:35,000,000  to  .^50,000,000  in  New  York  for  an 
underground  road  which  will  give  rapid  transit  to  the  upper  part  of  the  city. 
This  money  is  to  be  expended  by  the  city  and  will  become  a  burden  upon  the 
taxpayers.  But  this  projected  tunnel  from  downtown  New  York,  through  the 
center  of  Brooklyn  and  on  out  to  the  suburbs,  by  the  outlet  afforded  in  Atlantic 
avenue,  is  to  be  built  at  private  cost,  and  will  afford  to  our  city  all  that  the 
enormous  expenditure  of  public  money  in  New  York  is  expected  to  accomplish. 
Trains  are  to  be  operated  in  the  proposed  tunnel  so  that  it  will  be  possible  to 
travel  from  the  financial  center  of  New  York  to  this  City  Hall  in  four  minutes ; 
to  Flatbush  avenue  in  seven  minutes ;  to  East  New  York  in  twelve  minutes ; 
and  to  Jamaica  in  twenty  minutes.  This  rapid  transit  will  be  the  most  positive 
and  direct  benefit  to  Brooklyn  possible. 

To  secure  it,  however,  it  is  necessary  for  your  honorable  body  to  act  favor- 
ably upon  the  matter  laid  before  you  at  your  meeting  on  October  iSth  by  the 


14 


company,  and  upon  which  your  Raih-oad  Committee  has  given  a  pubhc  hearing, 
at  which  a  strong  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  project  was  manifested.  This  tunnel 
railroad  will  occupy  no  portion  of  the  public  streets  of  our  city,  but  will  be  en- 
tirely beneath  the  surface,  so  far  that  it  will  cause  no  disturbance  to  either  pub- 
lic or  private  property. 

Let  me  urge  upon  your  honorable  body  the  importance  of  immediate  and 
favorable  action  in  a  matter  of  such  value  to  the  entire  city,  of  whicli  you  are 
the  representatives.  Respectfully, 

F.  W.  WURSTER,  Mayor. 

The  interest  of  every  resident  on  this  side  of  the  East  River 
who  has  occasion  to  cross  that  arm  of  the  sea,  as  it  really  is, 
will  be  served  by  wiping'  out  as  far  as  possible  all  lines  of 
division  between  the  two  sides.  Second  only  to  the  construc- 
tion of  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  Bridge  is  the  plan  to  make 
it  only  a  link  in  the  chain  of  railroads  running  from  the  out- 
lying parts  of  Brooklyn  to  and  through  Xcw  York.  In  mv 
capacity  as  Bridge  Trustee  I  saw  the  great  desirability  of 
securing  continuous  transit  over  the  great  structure,  and  in 
the  near  future  it  will  be  possible  for  a  resident  of  the  Borough 
of  Brooklyn  to  get  on  the  car  running  nearest  his  home  and 
travel  without  change  to  the  other  end  of  the  Bridge,  and  per- 
haps farther.  This  will  do  more  for  the  building  up  of  our 
outlying  territory  than  the  construction  of  the  Bridge  itself  did 
for  the  older  part  of  Brooklyn. 

When  the  matter  of  allowing  surface  railroad  tracks  upon 
the  plaza  at  the  Bridge  entrance  was  brought  to  my  attention, 
as  it  had  previously  been  before  the  Bridge  Trustees,  I  saw  the 
desirability  of  having  cars  run  across  the  structure  instead  of 
transferring  people  to  and  from  the  Bridge  cars  ever\'  time 
they  crossed  the  river.  To  this  end  a  resolution  was  passed 
bv  the  Trustees  at  \\\\  instance,  recommending  the  ap])oint- 
mcnt  of  three  engineers  as  a  Bocird  of  Experts  to  report  u]3on 
the  strength  of  the  Bridge  and  the  feasibility  and  practica- 
bility of  running  the  elevated  railroad  cars  and  the  surface 
railroad  cars,  or  either  of  them,  across  the  structure.  Under 
this,  Messrs.  Virgil  G.  Bogue,  George  H.  Thomson  and  Leffert 
L.  Buck   were  ap])ointed.      After  full  consideration  of  the 


15 


sii1)ject,  they  reported  in  favor  of  allowing  both  elevated  and 
surface  cans  to  cross  the  structure.  In  their  report  they  said  : 
''Among  those  l)est  informed,  there  has  never  been  any  doubt 
as  to  the  ability  of  the  Bridge  to  carry  the  surface  cars  with 
absolute  safety.  ■"■ 

"From  the  above,  it  is  ])lain  that  from  an  engineering  or 
operating  point  of  view  we  have  discovered  no  adequate 
reason  why,  under  suitable  contracts,  the  cars  of  the  surface 
railroads  and  the  trains  of  the  elevated  railroads,  or  either  ol" 
them,  should  not  be  permitted  to  operate  on  the  Bridge. 

"If  both  systems  of  railroads  are  permitted  to  cross,  the 
people  will  be  provided  with  the  maximum  of  Bridge  facilities 
now  attainable,  while  the  Bridge  will  be  in  a  position  to  aftbrd 
its  maximum  of  utility,  both  as  a  factor  in  furnishing  the  most 
agreeable  and  convenient  means  of  transit  over  the  river  and 
as  a  source  of  income." 

In  connection  with  the  arrangements  of  the  railroad  com- 
panies under  this  report  it  w^as  found  possible  to  make  the 
Bridge  free  to  the  people  of  Brooklyn  l)y  enabling  them  to  ride 
from  their  homes  to  the  New^  York  terminus  of  the  Bridge  for 
a  single  five-cent  fare.  To  attain  this  it  w^as  necessary  to 
secure  legislative  authority  for  abolishing  fares  u])on  the  rail- 
way of  the  Bridge,  and  the  passage  of  a  law^  w^as  obtained 
which  gave  the  Trustees  of  the  Bridge  pow^er  to  abolish  all 
fares  upon  the  raihva}'^  upon  contracting  wnth  railroad  cor- 
porations to  carry  passengers  over  the  Bridge  without  charg- 
ing any  fare  additional  to  that  required  upon  their  regular 
cars,  and  to  make  such  contracts  in  conformity  with  the  report 
of  the  expert  engineers.  Under  this  law  the  contracts  were 
made  w^hich  will  give  to  Brooklyn  a  free  bridge. 

The  construction  of  the  New^  East  River  Bridge  has  also  been 
pushed  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  now^  that  all  the  caissons 
are  in  position,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  towers 
will  be  seen  to  rise,  and  then  the  giant  structure  wnll  be  swung 
across  the  tides,  and  a  new  highway  of  travel  will  be  opened, 
doing  for  the  northern  part  of  the  city  w^hat  the  present  Bridge 


6 


did  for  the  southern  part  of  old  Brooklyn,  and  addint^  much  to 
the  facility  with  which  residents  on  Lonj^  Island  can  reach  the 
center  ol  the  nietro])olis. 

The  Hoard  of  Aldermen  in  its  action  comes  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  the  Mayor,  and  there  is  much  requirin<>-  careful 
scrutiny  in  their  ])roceedings.  The  rk)ard  ])asses  from  50  to 
150  resolutions  every  week,  many  of  them  of  a  ])urelv  routine 
nature.  But  among  them  are  often  to  be  found  faultv  and 
illegal  measures  which  require  to  be  rescinded.  In  many  in- 
stances it  was  only  necessar\'  for  me  to  present  to  the  mover  of 
a  resolution  the  reasons  for  recalling  it  to  have  it  rescinded.  But 
in  other  cases  it  was  necessar\^  to  file  a  veto,  and  I  have  had  to 
thus  formally  disapprove  of  no  less  than  twenty  resolutions  on 
gi'ounds  of  public  policy.    None  of  them  was  re-passed. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  city  has  received  much  atten- 
tion at  my  hands  in  order  to  secure  as  much  as  possible  for  the 
ultimate  good  of  the  community.  When  I  took  office  the  net 
city  debt  w^as  $52,037,000  and  the  assessed  ■  valuation  was 
$563,987,132.  The  net  debt  is  now  $59,938,422,  and  the  as- 
sessed valuation  is  $603,796,463.  There  have  been  bonds 
issued  for  nianv  permanent  improvements,  notably  for  increas- 
ing the  w^ater  supplv,  for  building  schoolhouses,  for  the  East 
River  Bridge,  for  the  Wallabout  Market,  for  the  im])rovemcnt 
of  the  City  Hall,  for  the  construction  of  sewers,  for  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Museum  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  for  street  re-pav- 
ing, including  the  notable  improvements  in  Leonard  street, 
Jamaica  avenue  and  Albany  avenue. 

The  question  of  additional  water  supply  for  the  city  has 
engroSvSed  much  attention.  By  adding  to  the  driven-well  sys- 
tem, the  quantity  demanded  for  the  daily  necessities  of  the  city 
has  been  secured.  Steps  have  been  taken  to  prevent  a  recur- 
rence of  the  trouble  wdth  the  purity  of  the  water  which  was 
experienced  in  1896.  In  this  matter,  I  addressed  the  following 
communication  to  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  which  led  to  favoi*- 
able  action  on  their  part : 


17 


June  14,  1S97. 

To  the  Honorable,  the  Connnon  Couue/l  of  the  City  of  Bi'ooklyn : 

Gentlemen. — It  is  my  duty  to  call  your  attention  to  the  urg-ent  necessity 
for  immediate  action  upon  your  part  in  connection  with  a  communication  ad- 
dressed to  you  by  the  Commissioner  of  City  Works  and  which  appears  in  your 
proceedings  of  April  19,  1S97,  and  is  there  designated  as  resolution  No.  10.  A 
portion  of  that  communication  has  reference  to  the  construction  of  a  "  by-pass  " 
around  the  Ridgewood  reservoir.  It  is  important  that  this  work  should  be 
immediately  undertaken  and  carried  to  completion  as  speedily  as  possible  for 
three  reasons : 

First. — In  the  event  of  a  break  in  the  reservoir  itself,  there  is  no  way  to 
carry  the  water  from  the  mains  which  empty  into  the  reservoir  to  those  which 
distribute  it  through  the  city.  Should  such  an  accident  happen,  the  city  will 
be  deprived  of  its  supply  of  water  until  the  break  is  repaired.  That  this  has 
been  the  condition  of  affairs  for  a  number  of  years  is  no  excuse  for  its  con- 
tinuance. That  no  accident  ever  has  happened  is  but  a  slender  ground  for  the 
argument  that  it  is  Hkely  never  to  happen. 

Second. — The  construction  of  this  "by-pass  "  will  enable  the  Department  of 
City  Works  to  properly  clean  and  purify  the  reservoir,  which  it  has  been  unable 
to  do  for  a  number  of  years,  and  which  it  cannot  now  do  without  permitting 
all  the  water  now  collected  in  the  reservoir  to  go  to  waste,  and  for  a  consider- 
able time  thereafter  preventing  any  water  from  passing  into  it  or  being  dis- 
charged from  it  through  the  distributing  mains.  Such  of  course  would  deprive 
a  large  portion  of  the  citizens  of  the  city  of  the  free  use  of  water  while  the 
department  was  engaged  in  the  work  of  cleansing.  This  difficulty  and  incon- 
venience can  be  entirely  avoided  by  the  construction  of  the  proposed  "by-pass." 

Third. — The  last  and  most  important  reason  for  the  immediate  prosecution 
of  the  work  arises  from  the  condition  of  the  water  itself.  During  the  preceding 
summer  complaints  were  frequently  made  as  to  the  odor,  color  and  taste  of  the 
water  distributed  through  the  city.  A  careful  examination  was  made  both  by 
the  Health  Department  and  the  Department  of  City  Works  as  to  the  causes 
which  produced  the  result.  To  remedy  the  evil,  the  ponds  were  cleaned  and 
the  mains  flushed  ;  but  if  the  theory  adopted  by  the  expert  employed  by  the 
Department  of  City  Works  is  correct,  this  remedy  may  not  be  entirely  effectual. 
The  condition  of  the  water  referred  to,  it  is  claimed  by  him,  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  a  considerable  percentage  of  the  water  emptying  into  this  reservoir  is 
deep  well  water,  which,  while  remarkably  pure  and  free  from  vegetable 
organisms  when  drawn,  yet,. like  all  water  drawn  from  an  underground  supply, 
when  exposed  to  the  light  and  air,  as  it  is  in  the  reservoir,  rapidly  develops  a 
species  of  algae  known  as  asterionella.  While  these  are  not  injurious  to  health, 
they  render  the  water  offensive  to  the  sight,  to  the  smell  and  to  the  taste. 

Experiments  at  Brookline,  Mass.,  and  at  Newton,  Mass.,  where  similar  com- 
plaints against  the  water  supply  were  made,  tend  to  confirm  the  correctness  of 
this  theory.  Eventually  it  may  be  desirable  to  cover  the  reservoir,  depriving 
the  plant  life  of  the  light  necessary  to  its  development  and  thus  permanently 
preventing  the  recurrence  of  the  difficulty.     In  the  meantime  the  same  result 


3 


8 


can  be  obtained  by  the  construction  of  this  "by  pass,"  which  will  take  this  deep 
well  water  and  discharge  it  immediately  into  the  distributing  mains  instead  of 
discharging  it  through  the  reservoir. 

There  is  nothing  in  connection  with  the  administration  of  municipal  alTairs 
which  so  vitally  affects  the  comfort  of  the  greatest  number  of  citizens  as  the 
furnishing  of  a  supply  of  water  which  shall  be  not  only  wholesome  but 
palatable. 

The  Department  of  City  Works  has  prepared  plans  and  specifications  and 
has  solicited  bids  for  the  construction  of  this  "  by  pass  "  pipe.  The  department 
only  awaits  your  action  to  enter  upon  the  performance  of  the  work. 

I  am  sure  that  this  statement  of  its  importance  and  urgency  will  be  sufhcient 
to  insure  your  prompt  attention  and  thereby  all  causes  of  complaint  during  the 
present  summer  season  may  be  removed. 

Yours  respectfully, 

F.  W.  WURSTER,  Mayor. 

The  Ijiiilding  of  schoolhousCvS  havS  gone  forward  with  great 
rapidity,  and  large  additions  have  been  made  to  the  seating 
capacity-  provided  for  the  nniltitiide  of  children  in  otir  homes. 
Man\^  sites  have  been  secured  for  fvittire  use,  and  provision  has 
been  made  for  the  erection  of  a  new  high  school  in  the  East- 
ern District,  as  well  as  for  adding  to  the  Erasmus  Hall  struct- 
ure in  Flatbush,  generously  given  to  the  cit\'  on  the  sole 
condition  that  its  use  for  educational  purposes,  begun  more 
than  a  century  ago,  should  be  maintained. 

Under  Act  of  Legislature,  the  Disciplinary  Training  School 
for  Bovs  for  juvenile  offenders  has  been  established  and  a  fine 
property  in  the  former  town  of  New  Utrecht  purchased,  which 
now  has  over  100  inmates  who  are  being  successfully  trained. 
The  old  Truants'  Home  has  passed  under  control  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  and  is  doing  good  w^ork. 

The  extension  of  the  system  of  well-paved  streets  has 
been  one  of  the  most  important  results  secured  under 
my  administration.  It  might  almost  be  said  that  we  found 
the  city  jiavcd  with  stone  and  we  leave  it  paved  with 
asphalt.  While  much  of  the  original  cobblestone  remains,  yet 
the  fact  is  that  it  is  possible  to  reach  a  smooth  pavement  from 
any  part  of  the  city  by  going  a  short  distance,  and  then  to  go 
in  all  directions  both  within  the  thickly  built-up  portions  of  the 


T9 

city  and  in  the  outlying  districts  over  smoothly  paved  drives. 
A  review  of  the  progress  of  street  paving  in  the  city  is  given 
herewith : 

The  streets  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  have  undergone  a  most 
important  change  in  the  past  few  years.  The  rough,  imeven 
surface  of  badly  laid  cobblestones  has  given  way  to  the 
smooth  and  noiseless  asphalt  for  many  miles.  In  all  parts  of 
the  city  thoroughfares  have  been  improved,  leading  to  the 
parkwa\\s,  which  afford  facilities  for  riding  or  driving  to  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  by  the  sea  or  in  the  suburbs.  The  con- 
venience thus  afforded  can  only  be  measured  by  contrasting 
the  present  condition  with  the  past.  A  few  years  ago  it  was 
impossible,  save  from  a  few  points,  to  ride  or  drive  in  comfort 
to  the  parks  and  boulevards  which  had  been  provided  for  the 
more  than  a  million  people  of  Brooklyn.  Now  there  are  onlv 
a  few  points  from  which  it  is  not  ])ossil)le,  by  going  a  half 
a  block  or  less,  to  reach  smoothly  asphalted  streets  leading  in 
all  directions,  connecting  with  all  ])arts  of  the  city  and  render- 
ing access  to  the  fine  drives  in  the  outlying  districts  easy  and 
enjoyable. 

How  has  this  change  been  wrought  ?  By  the  proper  UvSe  of 
the  means  provided  for  improving  the  system  of  street  paving, 
and  the  extension  of  the  parkway  system  so  as  to  make  it  ade- 
quate to  the  demands  of  the  fourth  city  of  the  land.  The 
addition  of  many  miles  of  the  best  asphalt  pavement,  laid  upon 
a  concrete  foundation,  to  the  paved  streets  of  the  city,  in  most 
instances  replacing  uneven,  ugly  and  uncomfortable  cobble- 
stones, has  given  to  all  the  residents  of  our  city  the  means  of 
enjoying  themselves,  lacking  before.  One  of  the  direct  results 
of  this  has  been  the  vast  increase  in  the  number  of  riders  of  the 
\vheel. 

The  increase  in  the  number  of  isolated  blocks  of  good  pave- 
ment is  not  of  especial  value  to  the  entire  city,  but  the  providing 
of  through  routes  connecting  these  with  the  main  thorough- 
fares is  appreciated  by  ever\^  one.  The  addition  of  such  routes, 
relieving  the  over-crow^ ding  upon  former  ones,  has  been  the 


20 


most  important  work  of  the  i:)ast  year,  and  the  eitv  is  now 
aclec[uately  provided  for  a  nnndjer  of  years  to  eome. 

No  greater  eontrast  ean  l3e  found  than  is  afforded  l)v  the 
condition  of  the  streets  of  Brooklyn  to-da}^  compared  with 
what  it  was  four  years  ago.  The  city  was  then  in  the  "stone 
age  "  of  ])avcments  and  the  worst  form  of  that,  namely,  the 
"cobblestone  age."  A  score  of  miles  of  the  rough  and  forbid- 
ding cobblestones  had  been  replaced  by  granite  blocks  in  the 
previous  decade,  but  comparatively  nothing  had  been  done  in 
the  matter  of  laying  noiseless  pavements  of  the  modern  im- 
proved type.  Other  cities  had  done  much  in  this  direction  and 
Brooklyn  remained  inactive,  and  deserved  the  designation  of 
being  the  worst-paved  large  cit}^  in  this  land. 

A  beginning  was  made  a  quarter  of  a  centurv  or  more  ago, 
hy  the  laying  of  improved  pavements  in  the  great  natural 
thoroughfares  leading  from  both  districts  of  the  city  to  Pros- 
pect Park,  namely,  Flatbush  avenue  and  Bedford  avenue.  In 
the  former  a  wooden  pavement  was  put  down  by  the  I)e]3art- 
ment  of  City  Works,  and  connected  therewith  were  similar 
pavements  in  Hanson  place,  Cumberland  street,  Schcrmerhorn 
street,  and  Clinton  street.  But  the  satisfaction  with  which 
this  form  of  improved  pavement  was  received  at  first  soon 
changed  as  it  proved  to  be  lacking  in  durability  and  became 
badly  worn  and  decayed  in  many  places  in  a  few  years.  At- 
tempts were  made  to  make  good  the  defects,  and  finally  the 
wooden  pavement  was  covered  with  as])halt.  But  still  it  was 
unsatisfactory,  and  the  result  has  been  that  most  of  the  old 
pavement  in  these  streets  has  had  to  be  torn  up  and  a  proper 
foimdation  provided  for  a  new  surface.  But  so  undesirable 
seemed  the  first  attempts  to  secure  asphalt  pavement  that  on 
several  blocks  granite  was  substituted,  and  it  still  remains  in 
parts  of  Flatbush  avenue,  although  the  granite  has  been  re- 
placed by  asphalt  in  Schcrmerhorn  street. 

In  Bedford  avenue  the  work  of  j^aving  was  done  when  that 
street  was  temporarily  under  the  care  of  a  sjDCcial  commission. 
After  the  work  had  been  completed,  the  control  and  care  of  the 


21 


street  was  restored  to  the  Department  of  City  Works.  While 
unsatisfactory  in  manv  respects,  the  pavement  in  this  street 
has  served  a  good  purpose,  and  it  has  made  the  best  thorough- 
fare for  riding  and  driving  for  a  large  part  of  the  city  to  gain 
access  to  the  Eastern  Parkway  and  Prospect  Park. 

The  cost  of  maintaining  these  improved  pavements  and  their 
unsatisfactory  condition  discouraged  further  experiment  with 
asphalt  until  a  dozen  years  ago,  when  improved  asphalt  pave- 
ment was  laid  in  Montague  and  Pierrepont  streets.  This 
proved  satisfactory,  but  the  cost  was  great,  and  while  other 
cities  made  strides  forward  in  laying  smooth  pavements  Brook- 
lyn stood  still. 

Efforts  were  made  from  time  to  time  to  arouse  interest  and 
stop  the  increase  of  cobblestone  pavements  by  substituting 
something  better  A  Belgian  block  era  began  and  lasted  for  a 
considerable  time,  w^ith  the  result  of  the  laying  a  score  or  more 
miles  of  pavement  of  this  sort.  But  the  square  stone  blocks 
proved  to  be  little  better  than  the  best  cobblestone.  Then  came 
the  granite  block  period,  and  in  1889  no  less  than  21  miles  of 
granite  pavement  w^as  laid,  and  in  the  following  year  14  miles 
more.  In  the  same  period  the  asphalt  laid  amounted  to  less 
than  one  mile. 

At  the  end  of  1893  there  were  only  12  miles  of  asphalt  in 
the  city  to  31  of  Belgian  block  ;  85  of  granite  block,  and  265  of 
cobblestone.  The  annexation  of  the  new  wards  doubled  the 
number  of  miles  of  streets,  but  only  added  about  4-0  miles 
w^hich  were  paved.    These  had  been  macadamized. 

A  new  era  began  with  the  advent  of  the  administration  of 
Alayor  Schieren.  One  of  the  first  diffictdties  found  in  the  way 
of  securing  improved  pavements  existed  in  the  Stay  Law,  which 
prevented  any  work  of  re-paving  being  done  before  the  assess- 
ments had  been  laid  and  one-third  of  the  prospective  cost  col- 
lected in  advance  of  the  work.  Away  out  of  this  was  found  by 
the  enactment  of  a  law  permitting  any  street  which  had  been 
paved  at  the  expense  of  the  property  owners  to  be  re-]:)aved 
upon  petition  of  a  majority  of  the  property  owners,  one-half 


22 


of  the  cost  to  be  i)aid  bv  the  city  at  large,  and  authorizing  the 
cx])cnditnre  of  a  quarter  of  a  niilHon  of  dollars  bv  the  citv  for 
this  |)ur])ose  in  any  one  year,  no  assessments  to  be  laid  luitil 
the  work  had  been  done. 

Another  difliculty  which  had  been  in  the  way  w^as  the  ex- 
cessive cost  of  laying  asphalt,  owing  to  the  practical  niono|)oly 
enjoved  by  one  company,  as  onK^  a  single  kind  of  asphalt 
could  be  laid  under  the  specifications  prescribed  b}^  the  Depart- 
ment of  Cit\^  Works.  All  the  asphalt  laid  in  this  city  before 
1894  was  put  dowm  by  a  single  contractor.  The  restdt  of 
opening  competition  to  other  firms  w^as  rivalrv  carried  to  such 
a  degree  that  the  cost  of  asphalt  has  been  reduced  from  $2  a 
square  yard  to  less  than  $1.  This  also  brought  about  a  decline 
in  the  cost  of  granite  paving.  For  the  same  amount  of  money 
the  city  has  had  double  the  work  done  in  the  laying  of  as])halt, 
the  benefit  of  w^hich  has  been  doubly  reaped  b\'  the  property 
owmers  called  upon  to  pay  for  asphalt,  as  they  have  to  pay 
twice  in  the  direct  assessment  for  the  work  in  their  streets  and 
in  the  general  tax  for  the  city's  share  of  the  same. 

In  1894  much  of  the  work  done  w^as  the  carrying  out  of  the 
contracts  already  made,  and  a  trifle  over  three  miles  of  granite 
block  and  about  tw^o  and  one-half  miles  of  asphalt  were  laid. 
But  in  1895  a  much  better  showing  for  the  latter  w^as  made, 
the  total  being  nearK'  nine  miles  of  asphalt  to  ten  miles  of 
granite  block. 

In  the  same  year  a  beginning  was  made  in  the  laying  of 
vitrified  brick  pavement,  but  the  first  experiment  w^as  not  as 
successful  as  had  been  expected. 

The  year  1896  saw  a  still  more  marked  increase  in  the 
proportion  of  asphalt  to  other  paving.  Nearly  ten  miles  of  it 
was  laid,  w^hile  only  on  about  one  and  a  half  miles  was  granite 
block  put  dow^n,  while  the  macadamized  roadw^ays,  mostly  in 
the  new  w^ards,  added  to  those  already  existing,  measured 
over  six  miles. 

The  present  year  shows  a  still  greater  extent  of  good 
paving,  done  in  many  parts  of  the  city.    The  approximate 


23 


figures  for  the  jKived  vStrcets  of  the  city  at  the  end  of  this  year 
are  as  follows : 


making  1 21 V2  miles  of  smooth  roadway,  to  111  miles  of  granite 
block,  45  miles  of  Belgian  block,  and  miles  of  cobblestone. 
This  shows  an  increase  of  43  miles  of  asphalt  in  four  years,  an 
increase  of  26  miles  in  granite  block,  beside  the  addition  of  the 
entire  66  miles  of  macadam  and  brick,  together  with  a  reduc- 
tion of  21  miles  in  the  extent  of  cobblestone.  The  total  mile- 
age of  paved  streets  is  522  miles,  out  of  a  total  extent  of  about 
763  miles.  The  unpaved  streets  are  chiefly  in  the  annexed 
district,  and  many  of  them  are  well  covered  with  gravel  and  in 
excellent  condition. 

The  great  gain  in  the  thickly  built-uj)  part  of  the  city  has 
been  in  the  laying  of  asphalt  in  the  best  residence  districts.  In 
some  of  the  uptown  wards  there  are  many  blocks  of  new  pave- 
ment. In  the  past  year  the  extent  of  asphalt  has  been  increased 
from  36  to  55  miles,  the  largest  gain  in  an^^  \^ear  jQt  made. 

One  of  the  features  of  the  work  of  the  past  two  years  has 
been  the  providing  of  continuous  routes  from  one  part  of  the 
city  to  another  over  smooth  roadways.  At  first,  the  asphalt- 
ing of  individual  blocks  only  was  done ;  as  these  increased  in 
number  there  were  stretches  of  several  blocks  in  various  parts 
of  the  city.  Then  came  the  necessit}^  of  uniting  these  so  that 
it  w^ould  no  longer  be  necessary'  to  ride  over  rough  cobble- 
stones or  uneven  granite  blocks  in  going  from  one  part  of  the 
city  to  another.  Last  3^ear,  several  blocks  of  St.  Alarks 
avenue  were  asphalted  at  the  expense  of  the  city,  under  the 
law^  passed  in  1895,  authorizing  this  to  be  done  by  the  Com- 
missioner of  City  Works,  with  the  consent  of  the  Mayor,  for 
the  purpose  of  providing  thoroughfares.  This  secured  an  un- 
broken route  from  Bedford  avenue  to  Flatbush  avenue,  con- 
necting the  uptown  and  downtown  portions  of  the  city  without 


Asphalt.... 
Macadam 
Brick  


55     mik's ; 
63    miles ; 
SV2  miles ; 


24 


resort  to  the  Eastern  Parkway.  The  stretch  of  asj^halt  in 
Hancock  street  gave  a  route  eastward  from  Bedford  avenue 
north  of  k^ulton  street,  while  south  of  the  same  thoroughfare, 
St.  Marks  avenue  affords  the  same  faciHties  for  a  consideral)le 
distance. 

But  new  means  of  intercommunication  between  more  re- 
mote parts  of  the  city  became  imperative.  The  first  step  in  this 
direction  was  taken  the  present  year  by  re-paving  Leonard 
street,  from  Broadway  to  Greenpoint  avenue,  affording  a  much 
desired  means  of  reaching  the  district  traversed  by  Bedford 
avenue  from  the  entire  section  north  of  Broadway.  The  need 
of  further  facihties  for  reaching  the  downtown  ])art  of  the 
cit}^  was  met  by  the  new  pavement  in  Gates  and  Greene  ave- 
nues, and  replacing  the  old  and  worn  out  one  in  Hanson 
place,  connecting  directly  with  that  in  State  street,  laid  bust 
year.  Additional  facilities  have  been  afforded  in  Sotith  Brook- 
lyn b}'  the  re-paving  of  Sixth  and  Ninth  avenues,  and  their 
connection  by  re-paving  Fourteenth  street,  as  well  as  several 
other  parallel  streets  nearer  Flatbush  avenue.  A  new  route  to 
the  outlying  wards  was  provided  by  the  laying  of  a  brick  ]iave- 
ment  in  Classon  and  Washington  avenues  from  the  Eastern 
Parkway  to  P^latbush  avenue,  connecting  directly  with  the 
asphalt  in  the  latter,  which  extends  through  Flatbush. 

The  necessity  for  greater  facilities  for  the  uptown  ])ortion  of 
the  city  was  met  by  the  la\ang  of  as])halt  strips  in  Bush  wick 
avenue  at  a  cost  of  $16,000.  About  the  same  time  connection 
was  secured  from  the  end  of  the  asphalt  ])avement  in  Bedford 
avenue  to  the  Broadwa\'  ferries  b\^  the  laying  of  asphalt  in 
Division  avenue  and  Berry  street  and  asphalt  strips  in  Broad- 
way. Similar  connection  is  to  be  made  from  Leonard  street  to 
the  Greenpoint  iervy. 

But  the  multiplication  of  all  these  facilities  made  more  im- 
perative the  demand  for  routes  to  relieve  Bedford  avenue,  which 
has  dail}'  become  more  and  more  congested  by  the  increased 
number  of  riders  of  the  wheel,  in  addition  to  the  great  numl)er 
of  vehicles  using  this  thoroughfare.    The  result  of  careful  con- 


25 


sideration  of  the  ])roblein  ])rcscntcd  was  a  decision  to  prox  idc 
routes  to  relieve  it  on  both  sides.  To  the  eastward  it  was 
found  that  the  l)est  way  to  form  a  direct  connection  from 
Leonard  street  with  the  Eastern  Parkway  was  bv  wav  of 
Lewis  avenue,  from  Broadway.  To  reach  Lewis  avenue  with- 
out going  along  Broadway  from  Leonard  street  it  was  decided 
to  asphalt  ])ortions  of  Gerry  street,  Throop  avenue  and  h'loxd 
street  for  about  half  a  mile.  Then  a  direct  route  is  secured  in 
Lewis  avenue  for  a  mile  and  a  half  to  Decatur  street  (previously 
asphalted),  through  which  the  route  leads  to  Albany  avenue, 
where  asphalt  has  been  laid  for  nearly  a  mile.  On  the  westerlv 
side  of  Bedford  avenue  by  continuing  the  smooth  pavement  in 
Grand  avenue  south  of  Putnam  avenue  to  Washington  avenue, 
and  then  asphalting  the  portion  of  the  latter  to  Classon  ave- 
nue, direct  connection  has  been  made  with  the  new  brick  pave- 
ment therein. 

All  roads  in  this  city  lead  to  Prospect  Park — the  citv's  great 
pleasure  grotmd — and  beyond  it  to  the  sea  at  Conev  Island. 
One  of  the  first  demands  made  by  the  increasing  number  of 
wheelmen  in  the  city  four  years  ago  was  for  facilities  to  reach 
the  seaside.  By  their  own  exertions  they  raised  the  monev  to 
build  the  first  cycle  path  along  the  Ocean  I^arkway.  The  l)op- 
ularity  of  this  proved  instantaneous  and  a  demand  arose  for  a 
second,  or  a  return  path.  The  city  autliorities  ])romptlv  met 
this  by  its  construction  last  year,  and  at  the  same  time  pro- 
vided for  pedestrians  by  laying  a  new^  sidewalk  to  take  the 
place  of  the  one  removed  from  the  space  set  apart  for  cycling. 
At  the  same  time  steps  were  taken  to  give  the  much  needed  con- 
nection with  the  macadamized  roads  of  Queens  Comity  by  put- 
ting a  proi)er  pavement  on  Glenniore  avenue  and  Eastern  Park- 
way. 

Provision  had  joreviously  l^een  made  for  a  parkway  leading 
to  Fort  Hamilton  and  another  to  Bensoiihurst.  These  hue, 
broad  boulevards  have  been  laid  out  and  improved — P'ort 
Hamilton  Parkway  from  Pros])ect  Park  to  Seventy-ninth 
street — a  distance  of  two  miles  and  a  half— where  it  connects 

4 


26 


with  Seventh  aveiine,  ah-eady  maeadamized,  and  the  vSvstcm  ol" 
similar  streets  in  that  section  of  the  city,  and  Bav  Parkway, 
or  Twenty-second  avenue,  from  the  Ocean  Parkway  to  Benson- 
hnrst  Beach. 

The  Shore  Drive  Parkway  will  soon  be  completed  for  a 
stretch  of  two  and  a  half  miles  along  the  water  front  of  New 
York  bay,  rivaling  if  not  surpassing  the  famous  Riverside 
Drive  in  New  York.  It  will  be  connected  at  its  northerlv  ex- 
tremity by  Bay  Kidge  Parkway,  between  Sixt\'-sixth  and  Sixtv- 
seventh  streets,  with  Fort  Hamilton  Parkway,  as  well  as  with 
Second  and  Fourth  avenues,  which  are  fine  boulevards  with 
smooth  pavement,  south  of  Sixtieth  street.  At  the  other  end 
the  Shore  Drive  will  meet  these  streets  and  extend  around  F'ort 
Hamilton  to  Dyker  Beach  Park  and  Cropsey  avenue.  The 
latter  is  directly  connected  with  the  macadamized  drives  in  h^if- 
teenth,  Eighteenth  and  Tw^ent\^-second  avenues,  and  at  its 
farther  end  leads  into  Harway  avenue,  from  which  the  bridge 
now  building  over  Coney  Island  creek  will  afford  a  means  of 
reaching  the  westerly  jDortion  of  Coney  Island  and  Sea  Gate. 
The  parkways  in  this  part  of  the  cit}^  measure  fulh' fifteen  miles, 
and  directly  connected  with  them  are  fully  as  great  an  extent 
of  macadamized  roads  intervSecting  the  entire  territory  from 
Bay  Ridge  to  Coney  Island,  giving  to  carriage  riders,  wheel 
riders  and  equestrians  as  great  variety  of  picturesque  scenery 
from  bay  to  ocean  as  can  be  found. 

In  the  easterly  part  of  the  city  equally  as  great  a  variet\'  ot 
a  somewhat  different  sort  is  to  be  found.  At  the  time  Prospect 
Park  was  laid  out  it  was  ]:)roposed  to  establish  another  great 
park  farther  eastward.  The  scheme  did  not  materialize  at  that 
time,  owing  to  the  lack  of  means.  But  when  the  opportunity 
was  offered  to  utilize  the  credit  of  Kings  County  before  it  be- 
came consolidated  with  Brookhm  for  securing  additional  ])ark 
land,  the  original  ])lan  was  adopted  and  a  park  larger  than 
Prospect  Park  secured.  This  is  the  Brooklyn  Forest,  lying 
upon  the  Jamaica  hills.  The  appropriate  steps  have  been  taken 
to  bring  this  into  close  communication  with  the  city  ])ro])er. 


27 


Ridgewood  Park  has  been  laid  out  adjacent  to  the  Ridgewood 
RcvServoir  and  to  this  the  extension  of  the  Eastern  Parkway 
leads.  When  the  original  Ivastern  Parkway,  or  Saekett  street 
boulevard,  as  it  was  then  called,  was  planned  it  was  to  extend 
from  Prospect  Park  to  Jamaica,  and  the  name  Jamaica  Park- 
way was  applied  to  it.  But  the  onlv  ]:)ortion  of  it  constructed 
for  twenty  years  extended  to  the  former  boundary  of  the  town 
of  New  Lots  at  Hunterfly  road.  Beyond  that  point  it  was 
mapped  out  as  a  narrow  street  and  no  attempt  to  make  it  a 
parkway  was  ever  made.  It  has  since  been  opened  and  ])aved 
as  a  part  of  the  Glenmore  avenue  route  to  Queens  County,  and 
the  name  Pitkin  avenue  given  to  it,  and  the  Eastern  Park  wax- 
proper  has  ended  at  the  former  City  Line.  From  this  point  it 
now  proceeds  b\'  the  Eastern  Parkway  extension  along  the 
brow  of  Ocean  Hill,  and  a  somewhat  circuitous  route  so  as  to 
avoid  cutting  too  many  blocks  to  Bush  wick  avenue,  near  the 
entrance  of  Evergreens  Cemetery.  Then  following  the  latter 
vStreet  a  short  distance  it  deflects  to  the  left  and  leads  up  the 
high  groinid,  crossing  Vermont  avenue  by  a  viaduct  to  the 
former  Highland  Boulevard,  and  directly  to  the  city's  distrib- 
uting reservoirs  and  the  adjoining  Ridgewood  Park. 

To  go  farther  eastward  to  Forest  Park  a  winding  roadway 
has  been  constructed  down  the  face  of  the  hill,  which  the  reser- 
voirs surmount,  to  Jamaica  avenue,  once  the  Jamaica  Plank 
Road.  Li  connection  with  the  recent  action  taken  by  the  city 
to  secure  title  to  this  street,  it  has  been  laid  with  a  smooth 
pavement  to  the  boundary  of  the  city,  and  just  beyond  that 
point  it  will  connect  with  a  drive  leading  up  the  face  of  the 
hill  in  the  new  Forest  Park,  hi  this  several  miles  of  roadway 
are  already  constructed,  and  aftbrd  a  direct  route  to  a  number 
of  fine  roads  in  Queens  Count\',  connecting  directly  with 
Jamaica,  Flushing  and  Newtown,  all  within  the  limits  of 
(ireater  New  York..  In  the  limits  of  ForCvSt  Park  much  natural 
beauty  can  be  found  ;  the  wildness  of  the  ])rinieval  forest,  with 
dells  and  thickets  in  the  underbrush,  and  extended  views  on  the 
one  side  toward  the  ocean,  including  Jamaica  Bay,  Rockaway, 


28 


Bergen  Beach,  Coiicv  Island  and  Sandy  Hook,  while  upon  the 
other  side  Long  Island  Sound  and  Flushing-  I>av  a])i)ear,  with 
the  North  Side  and  Westchester  Conntv  flankino-  them.  All 
this  new  re<;ion  is  rendered  accessible,  and  reallv  brought  in 
close  connection  with  Prospect  Park,  bv  the  new  svsteni  of 
drives  tmiting  them.  It  is  now  possible  to  ride  from  Fort 
I lamilton  to  Willett's  Point  over  a  system  of  boulevards  and 
parkways  perhaps  unequaled  in  the  world.  Starting  on  the 
Shore  Driveway  from  within  sight  of  the  ocean  one  will  first 
skirt  New  York  Bay  from  the  Narrows,  where  the  commerce  of 
a  continent  finds  entrance  and  exit,  thence  over  the  heights  or 
Bay  Ridge  to  Fort  Hamilton  Parkway,  through  the  beautiful 
drives  of  Prospect  Park,  on  over  the  Eastern  Parkwax-  and  its 
extension  to  Ridge  wood  Park,  with  the  w^ide  view  seaward, 
down  the  hill  to  the  level  of  the  plain  below\  and  then  up  again 
to  Forest  Park  w4th  its  manifold  beauties,  and  after  passing- 
through  this  over  Union  Turnpike  and  F'lushing  avenue  to  the 
beautifully  shaded  streets  of  Flushing  and  beyond  b}-  ^vay  of 
Whitestone  to  Willett's  Point  on  the  Sound,  0])posite  Fort 
Schuyler  in  the  Wxstchester  part  of  the  metropolis.  On  this 
twentv-five  mile  drive  or  ride  the  entire  beauties  of  the  sx^stem 
of  parks  and  boulevards  provided  for  the  pleasure  of  the  people 
of  Brooklyn  mav  be  seen.  And  the  wdiole  of  it  is  easy  accessi- 
ble from  all  parts  of  the  citv  bv  the  well-paved  streets  leading 
from  everv  section.  No  part  of  the  citv  has  been  left  uncon- 
nected bv  im])roved  ])avement  with  this  extended  stretch  of  the 
finest  drives  in  the  country. 

BrookU-nites  are  no  longer  confined  to  going  up  Bedford 
avenue  and  "downi  the  road  "  for  pleasure  riding.  EciualK' 
beautiful  in  all  directions  stretch  the  im])roved  parkways,  and 
thev  lead  to  scenes  of  the  greatest  natural  beauty.  The  multi- 
tudes thronging  them  in  fine  weather  is  the  best  proof  of  how 
well  this  expenditure  of  public  funds  is  appreciated,  and  how 
great  a  return  is  scem-cd  in  health  and  happiness  for  the  entire 
community. 

The  various  (piestions  in  relation  to  providing  further  water 


29 


vSiipi^K'  for  the  immediate  future  have  been  carefully  studied.  It 
was  found  impossible  to  issue  bonds  for  the  amount  needed  for 
the  prosecution  of  the  work  owin^-  to  the  necessitv  of  l)uildin^- 
new  schoolhouses,  paving  streets,  the  building  of  the  new  Ivast 
River  bridge,  and  other  matters  of  importance;  and  the  fact 
that  the  city  was  near  the  constitutional  limit  of  debt.  To 
secure  what  is  im])eratively  demanded  for  additional  water 
su])])ly  the  issue  of  bonds  to  the  amount  of  not  less  than  two 
millions  of  dollars  was  recjuired.  This  would  ])rovide  the  ad- 
ditional conduit  and  pumping  stations,  together  with  more 
driven  wells  and  the  rendering  watertight  the  Milburn  Reser- 
voir, a  legacy  from  the  past  which  it  v\'ill  cost  nearly  half  a 
million  dollars  to  make  of  any  use.  It  did  not  seem  wise  to 
undertake  any  of  these  things  separate  from  the  others,  cand  it 
was  not  possible  to  secure  the  means  to  undertake  the  entire 
work. 

No  more  important  matter  in  relation  to  Brooklyn  has  been 
left  to  the  consideration  of  the  authorities  of  the  new  city. 
The  utilization  of  all  sources  of  water  supply  within  the  terri- 
tory now  drawn  upon  bv  the  city  is  requisite,  and  in  addition 
thereto  the  building  of  the  new  conduit,  work  upon  which  has 
not  been  done  because  of  lack  of  funds  to  certify  the  contract, 
and  the  providing  of  additional  reservoir  capacity  within  the 
city  limits.  There  should  be  no  delay  in  securing  the  proper 
authority  to  go  forward  with  this  work. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  review  in  detail  the  work  done  in  each 
of  the  departments  of  the  citv  government  in  the  ])ast  two 
years,  as  full  ]:>articulars  will  be  found  in  the  subjoined  reports. 
I  woidd  like  to  direct  attention  to  a  few  matters,  however. 

The  civil  service  branch  of  the  administration  was  entrusted 
to  capable  hands,  and  I  followed  precedent  in  the  matter  of 
approving  of  changes  desired  in  the  classification  of  ])ositi()ns. 
After  long  legal  contentiori  the  position  I  took  was  maintained 
by  the  covirts.  When  the  new  provisions  of  the  law  enacted 
by  the  Legislature  came  in  force  last  spring,  I  called  a  meeting 
of  the  heads  of  the  city  departments  and  it  was  unanimously 


30 


agreed  to  let  the  civil  service  commission  conduct  the  examina- 
tions for  fitness  as  well  as  for  merit.  The  result  was  that  the 
working  of  the  system  under  the  new  law  was  imchanged 
from  what  it  had  been  before  its  ])assage.  The  letters  given 
herewith  show  how  the  chairman  of  the  commission  regarded 
the  attitude  of  the  administration : 

T02  Rkmsen  Street,  July  i,  1S96. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Wurster — I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  kind  manner  in 
which  you  stood  by  the  civil  service  commission  at  the  meeting  of  the  board 
of  apportionment.  You  have  proved  yourself  a  firm  friend  to  the  civil  service 
cause  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  act  as  a  commissioner,  having  such  appreciative 
backing.    With  kind  regards  and  again  thanking  you,  I  remain. 

Yours  sincerely,  A.  E.  ORR. 


May  24,  1897. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wurster, 

Mayor,  etc. 

Mv  Dear  Mr.  Mayor  — I  have  just  received  from  Mr.  Lent,  our  Secretary, 
a  copy  of  the  resolution  adopted  by  you  and  the  commissioners  of  the  various 
civic  departments  of  Brooklyn  at  your  office  this  P.  M.,  designating  "  the  Civil 
"  Service  Commission  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  to  conduct  all  examinations,  to 
"  determine  fitness  of  applicants  for  appointment  in  the  several  departments 
"  under  our  (your  and  their)  control. 

I  cannot  express  to  you  too  fully  my  sincere  appreciation  of  this  evidence  of 
confidence  and  favor  on  the  part  of  your  good  self  and  your  commissioners  in 
this  commission,  and  the  testimony  it  bears  from  your  exalted  standpoint  to  the 
people  of  the  whole  State  that  civil  service  regulations  and  laws,  honestly  ad- 
ministered, are  a  benefit  to  the  locality  where  they  are  made  operative. 

Yours  respectfully, 

A.  E.  ORR, 

C/i(i/)»ia)i . 


31 


In  the  fire  department  a  notable  increavSe  in  the  protection 
afforded  to  ])roperty  has  been  secured.  The  extension  of  the 
fire  system  of  the  okler  ])art  of  the  city  over  the  new  wards 
was  accompHshed  without  increasing  the  cost  of  running  the 
de])artment  to  any  great  degree,  owing  to  retrenchments  in 
other  directions.  A  number  of  new  engine  and  truck  houses 
were  erected,  and  new  com])anies  formed  to  occu])y  them.  The 
old  fire  engines  have  been  overhavded  and  put  in  first-class 
condition,  and  all  the  equi])ment  of  the  department  is  now  in 
first-class  condition.  The  fire  alarm  system  has  been  extended 
until  the  entire  city  is  fully  protected.  A  high  standard  has 
been  set  and  maintained  in  the  department,  and  its  elliciencv 
has  given  the  city  an  envial^le  record  in  fire  matters. 

In  the  department  of  police,  the  force  has  been  changed  and 
improved  in  man\^  ways,  and  the  record  made  in  the  detection 
and  prevention  of  crime  is  an  excellent  one.  The  number  of  po- 
licemen has  been  increased  considerably,  and  all  the  annexed 
territory  is  well  taken  care  of.  The  three  new  i)olice  stations 
are  models  of  their  kind.  A  great  improvement  in  the  patrol 
of  the  water  front,  with  its  immense  property  interests,  has 
been  effected  by  the  substitution  of  launches  for  the  former 
patrol  boat. 

The  record  of  the  health  department  shows  a  steady  lower- 
ing of  the  death  rate,  which  is  full  proof  of  the  improvement  of 
the  sanitary  condition  of  the  city.  The  close  inspection  of 
plumbing  in  all  new  structures  has  been  a  noteworthy  element 
in  the  matter,  while  a  steady  decrease  in  the  nund3er  of  com- 
plaints in  the  past  two  years  shows  the  cfheiency  of  the  depart- 
ment in  supervising  all  details.  The  facilities  for  properly  car- 
ing for  persons  suffering  from  contagious  diseases  have  been 
increased,  and  ])rompt  work  in  stamping  out  such  diseases  has 
rendered  the  record  of  the  city  remarkably  good.  The  sup])ly 
of  antitoxine  for  diphtheria  at  the  ])ublic  expense  has  l)een  of 
great  benefit  in  saving  lives. 

In  concluding  this  brief  review  of  what  has  been  accom- 
plished for  the  benefit  of  Brooklyn  by  the  present  city  govern- 


ment,  T  desire  to  aoain  thank  those  who  have  been  assoeiated 
with  me  in  the  eonduet  of  affairs,  and  to  express  the  hope  that 
their  disinterested  serviees  will  be  appreciated  bv  the  ])nblie  at 
large.  We  have  soni^ht  toi>ether  to  further  the  ends  of  ^ood 
government  in  everv  ])ossible  way. 

The  corporation  known  as  the  city  of  Hrooklvn  was  formed 
bv  act  of  Legislature  in  1884-.  The  citizens  of  Brooklvn  and 
Williamsburgh  and  the  town  of  Bushwick  were  consolidated 
under  the  new  charter  in  1854.  In  188G  the  former  town  oi 
New  Lots  was  annexed  to  the  city,  and  in  1894  the  three  towns 
of  F'latbush,  New  l^trecht  and  Gravesend  were  placed  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  municipal  authorities.  On  Januarv  1,  1896, 
the  former  town  of  Flatlands  became  a  j^artof  the  city,  making 
the  boundaries  of  the  munici]:)ality  and  the  countv  the  same,  j 
have  had  the  ])rivilege  and  pleasure  of  being  ALiyor  of  this  en- 
tire territory,  and  now  as  the  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  I 
desire  to  express  the  hope  that  under  the  new^  conditions  aris- 
ing from  consolidation  and  the  Greater  New  York  Charter  that 
the  Borough  of  Brooklyn  will  surpass  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  and 
that  it  will  become  the  chief  division  of  the  metropolis.  Feel- 
ing assured  that  the  memory  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  will  be 
fondly  cherished  by  all  possessing  civil  pride,  we  can  go  forward 
with  the  confident  ho])e  that  the  name  of  Brooklyn  will  ever 
remain  bright  upon  the  pages  of  history. 


Mil  V  or. 


Department  of  Finance 


What  has  been  done  by  Comptroller 
George  W.  Palmer 


5 


35 


Georgp:  W.  Palmkr,  C()iii])tr()llcr. 
Offick  of  tiih  Com ftkoflivK, 
p)r()oklyn,  n.  v. 

(jFO.  II.  RowH, 

Deputy  Comptroller. 

Oeeeniber  24,  181)7. 

To  THE  Hon.  Frkdfkick  W.  Wurstfr, 

Mayor : 

I  herewith  svil)init  a  brief  statement  of  the  finaneial  con- 
dition of  the  city  during  niy  adminivStration  of  the  I)e]:>artment 
of  Finance,  covering  a  period  of  three  years,  from  January  1, 
1895,  to  December  31,  1897. 

Upon  entering  my  duties,  I  found  that  the  bonded  indebted- 
ness of  the  city  on  December  31,  1894,  inckiding  $1,2()(),0()() 
tax  certificates,  was  $54,582,521.94,  and  that  the  sinking 
fund  invCvSted  in  Brooklyn's  securities  was  $4,473,521 .94. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  ^^ear  of  my  administration,  the  debt 
was  $57,728,521.94,  an  increase  of  $3,146,000,  but  the  vSink- 
ing  Fund  had  been  increavSed  $1,218,000,  so  that  on  Decemljer 
31,  1895,  there  was  only  an  actual  net  increase  in  the  bonded 
debt  of  $1,928,000.  During  this  year  the  city  issued 
$5,691,000  of  bonds,  and  reaHzed  a  premium  of  $164,786.28. 
With  a  very  few  exceptions  the  bonds  bore  three  and  one-half 
per  cent,  interest,  and  were  floated  without  an^^  difficulty,  the 
city  receiving  as  high  a  figure  as  111.79  for  four  per  cent, 
bonds,  and  105.09  for  three  and  one-half  per  cent.  It  is  in 
order,  at  this  time,  to  state  that,  on  account  of  the  annexation 
of  the  towns,  the  city  was  compelled  to  issue  $464,000  bonds, 
for  the  sole  benefit  of  the  localities  annexed.  The  general 
fund  receipts  amounted  to  $25,3()7,961 .30,  and  the  ex])endi- 
tures  to  $24,921, 41 3. 44,  for  which  there  were  22,328  warrants 
drawn.  The  general  fund  receipts  for  1896  amounted  to 
$33,699,456.92,  and  the  expenditures  to  $28,300,238.57  ; 
$4,389, 629. 7v5  of  the  recei])ts  were  l)rought  over  or  transferred 


36 


from  the  county  balances  l)y  the  county  treasurer,  to  be  phiced 
to  the  cre(ht  of  the  res])ective  accounts  of  the  citv. 

On  December  31,  1S1)(),  the  l^onded  deln  had  increased 
(bu'ing  the  year  $5, (ill ,097.4-1 ,  but  your  attention  shouhl  l)e 
called  to  the  fact  that  on  December  HI ,  1 895,  $7()0,()()()  tax 
certificates  were  outstanding  and  that  on  Decend)er  ol,  1S<)(), 
$2, 300, 000  were  outstanding,  so  that  a  large  i)ro])ortion  of 
this  increase  was  temporarily  caused  by  the  issue  of  tax  certifi- 
cates in  anticipation  of  the  collection  of  taxes.  During  the 
vear,  $8,169,097.41  bonds  and  certificates  were  issued  and 
the  city  received  in  ])remiums  $45,733.05. 

During  the  year  1897,  the  city  has  issued  $2,412,11 9. 7(i 
bonds  for  schools,  sewers  and  other  im])rovements,  and  $4,000,- 
000  tax  certificates  in  anticipation  of  the  collection  of  taxes. 

The  gross  debt  from  December  31 , 1 894,  to  date  has  increased 
from  $54,582,521.94  to  $06,642,378.10— $12, 059, 850. 10. 

The  sinking  fund  during  this  period  has  increased  from 
$4,473,521.94to $6, 703,955. 69$2,— 230,433.75,  showinganet 
increase  of  $9,829,422.41 .  Included  in  these  amounts  are  the 
Tax  Certificates  issued  in  anticipation  of  the  collection  of  taxes, 
viz.:  December  31,  1894,  $1,200,000;  December  31,  1897, 
$4,060,000,  showing  an  increase  of  $2,860,000;  this  amount 
being  onh'  a  temporary  debt  is  properly  deductable  from  the 
increase  of  the  bonded  indebtedness  (see  Art.  VIII.  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  State  of  New  York ) ;  so  that  the  actual  in- 
crease in  the  bonded  indebtedness  during  my  administration 
was  $6,969,422.41. 

The  annexation  of  the  county  of  Kings  has  necessarily  in- 
creased the  volume  of  work  in  this  oftice,  as  is  clearly  illustrated 
bv  the  number  of  warrants  drawn,  not  including  salary  war- 
rants—in 1894,  12,159,  and  1897,  to  date,  17,365. 

In  closing,  I  desire  to  utilize  the  opportunity  to  express  my 
thanks  for  the  m an v  courtesies  received  from  you  and  the  mem- 
bers of  vour  cabinet  during  the  years  we  have  been  associated 
together  otlicially.  Respectfully  yours. 


C()iiij)troIIcr. 


Department  of  Collection 


What  has  been  done  by  Tax  Coli,ectok 
R.  Ross  Appleton 


39 


Office  of  the  Collector  of  Taxes, 

Brooklyn,  X.  V.,  December  22,  1897. 

Hon.  Frederick  \V.  Wurster, 

Mayor. 

Sir — In  re])ly  to  your  favor  rccjuesting  a  stt'itement  of  the 
buvsiness  transacted  in  the  Department  of  Collection  durini^  the 
last  two  years,  I  would  state  that  the  total  amount  of  moneys 
collected  and  turned  over  to  the  City  Treasurer  from  December 
1,  1895,  to  November  30,  1897,  was  $28,153,154.52,  of  which 
amount  $26,863,473.92  was  for  general  taxes,  and  $1,289,- 
680. 60  for  assessments  for  improvements. 

The  total  number  of  assessments  levied  and  turned  over  to 
this  department  for  collection  was  408,  amounting  to  $1,553,- 
267.97,  for  w^hich  over  60,000  bills  were  made  out  and  delivered 
on  the  premises  or  to  the  owaiers  or  agents  of  the  propertv.  A 
large  number  of  assessments  w^ere  revised,  recpiiring  new  bills 
to  be  made  out  and  delivered,  thereby  causing  dovible  work. 

The  amount  returned  to  the  Department  of  Arrears  w^as 
$5,000,050.22,  of  w^hich  $4,545,185.54  was  for  general  tax 
and  $464,864.68  for  assessments.  The  amount  of  labor  in- 
volved in  making  these  returns  of  arrears  is  very  great,  as  thev 
show  each  piece  or  parcel  of  property  separately,  and  an  exact 
duplicate  is  required  to  be  sent  to  the  Comptroller. 

The  number  of  books  containing  the  general  tax  levy  is  130, 
and  these  books  are  balanced  and  recapitidated  at  the  end  of 
each  year.  The  cash  books  required  for  entering  the  money  re- 
ceived for  the  general  tax  is  twenty-two  and  for  assessments 
fourteen,  and  during  the  first  month  of  collecting  they  are  all 
in  use.  These  books  are  balanced  and  reca]:)itulated  each  vear, 
and  show  the  amounts  collected  daily,  monthly  and  for  the 
vear  in  total,  bv  wards. 

The  amount  of  rebate  allow^ed  upon  payments  made  within 
thirtv  davs  after  warrants  have  been  delivered  to  this  oflicc  for 


4° 


collection,  at  the  rate  of  7  j^,,  per  cent,  per  annnni.  was  $101,- 
04-4-. 7S,  while  the  amount  of  default  collected  at  the  rate  oi  1) 
])er  cent,  per  annum,  alter  thirty  days  have  ex])ired,  was  »$2()S,- 
300. 2S. 

The  total  numl)er  of  applications  for  the  reftmd  of  monevs 
received  for  over  and  double  payments  of  taxes  and  assess- 
ments was  2,996,  amounting  to  $104-, 223.58,  for  which  this 
de])artment  drew  up  the  necessary  vouchers  and  afiidavits,  and 
certified  same  to  the  Comptroller  for  payment. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  annexation  of  the  county 
towms  has  greatly  increased  the  work  in  this  department,  the 
number  of  clerks  employed  has  not  been  increased,  and  the 
amount  now  reqtiired  for  the  expenses  of  the  office  is  less  than 
was  expended  ten  years  ago.  The  amount  expended  diu'ing 
the  two  years  for  salaries  w^as  $102,225.11,  and  for  contingent 
expenses  (books,  stationery,  etc.),  w^as  $2,547.46. 

Taxpayers  are  appreciating  the  fact  that  b\'  the  use  of  the 
mails  they  can  facilitate  the  payment  of  taxes ;  no  less  than 
14,000  checks,  representing  many  thousands  of  parcels  of 
pro])ert\%  being  received  each  year,  some  12,000  being  received 
on  the  first  day  each  year. 

The  bill  passed  by  the  Legislature,  at  m\'  suggestion,  allow^- 
ing  payment  of  taxes  to  be  made  up  to  January  13th,  wnth 
rebate,  has  proved  of  great  l3enefit  to  tax[)ayers  in  the  saving 
of  interest  on  their  money  in  savings  banks. 

Very  res])ectfull3% 


Collector. 


Department  of  Arrears 


Record  of  Registrar  Henry  A.  Powell 


6 


43 


Department  of  ArreaRvS, 
Municipal  Building, 

Brooklyn,  December  24,  1897. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wurster, 

Mayor,  etc., 

Dear  Sir — In  comj^liance  with  your  request,  I  send  you  the 
following  brief  statement  of  the  workings  of  this  office,  under 
your  administration. 

The  Department  of  iVrrears,  as  its  name  signifies,  is  that  de- 
partment of  the  city  where  the  "fag"  end  of  taxation  finds  its 
place.  The  majority  of  our  citizens  pay  their  taxes  promptly, 
and  in  that  manner  aYail  themselYCS  of  all  the  benefits  which 
pertain  to  such  prompt  payment. 

Into  this  ofiice  there  comes  the  taxes  of  two  classes. 

1st.  Those  who  by  reason  of  misfortune  and  adYcrse  cir- 
cumstances are  long  dela\'ed  in  paYing  their  taxes. 

2d.  Those  who,  for  one  reason  or  another,  object  to  paying 
their  taxes  at  all. 

The  former  class  come  here  in  trouble,  asking  for  forbear- 
ance, while  the  latter  class  come  as  litigants  who  are  fighting 
for  rights,  either  real  or  imaginarY,  in  the  courts. 

As  is  generally  known,  the  tax  laws  of  Brooklyn  are  ex- 
ceedingh'  rigid  and  severe.  Indeed  it  is  a  question  as  to 
whether  any  severer  tax  regulations  can  be  found  in  an^-  Eng- 
lish-speaking community.  After  the  taxes  of  the  city  have 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  tax  collector  for  a  year,  those 
which  are  still  unpaid  are  certified  to  this  department  to  be 
dealt  with  as  provided  by  law.  It  then  becomes  the  duty  of 
the  Registrar  to  make  and  publish  lists  of  property  which  are 
in  arrears,  and  advertise  the  sale  of  the  same  in  the  city  papers. 

The  penalties  attached  to  a  sale  are  certainly  severe.  The 
purchaser  at  a  tax  sale,  in  addition  to  the  amount  which  he 


44 


pavs,  is  immediately  entitled  to  an  additional! 0  per  cent  upon 
that  amount,  up  to  but  not  exceeding  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
dollars.  This  bonus,  as  it  is  called,  must  of  course  be  paid  by 
the  property  owner  upon  redemption,  as  well  as  interest  at  15 
per  cent,  upon  the  amount  paid  at  the  sale,  i)lus  the  said 
bonus.  This  interest  runs  from  the  date  of  the  sale  to  the  date 
of  redemption.  The  buyer  at  the  sale  can,  ])ursuant  to  the 
statute,  serve  notices  upon  all  ])ersons  having  anv  interest  in 
the  property  as  well  as  mortgagees ;  and  if,  after  the  lapse  of 
one  vear  from  the  time  of  the  serving  of  such  notices  there  has 
not  been  a  redem])tion,  can  apply  to  this  department  and 
receive  a  deed  which  gives  him  an  absolute  title. 

In  this  event  the  surplus  which  remains  after  the  taxes  due 
and  expenses  of  the  sale  have  been  deducted  from  the  amount 
paid  by  the  buyer,  goes  to  and  can  be  secured  by  the  owner  of 
the  premises  sold. 

There  is  large  opportunity  in  the  department  for  the  exer- 
cise of  tact  in  distinguishing  between  those  who  are  unable 
to  pav  their  arrears,  and  those  who,  for  some  reason,  while 
able  to  pay,  refuse  to  do  so.  To  the  former  I  have  endeavored 
to  extend  clemency,  and  find  that  it  has  but  seldom  been  mis- 
placed. With  the  latter  the  rule  has  been  either  ])ay  or  be 
sold  out. 

Tax  sales  have  been  held  nearh^  ever^^  month  during  the 
past  two  years.  They  have  been  largely  attended,  and  the 
prices  realized  have  been  entirely  satisfactorv.  In  this  w^ay 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  collected  for  the 
use  of  the  city. 

In  the  work  of  the  department  there  have  been,  during  my 
occu|)ancy  of  the  office  of  Registrar,  but  few  matters  that  have 
occurred  outside  the  ordinary  routine.  The  long  continued  lit- 
igation with  regard  to  taxes  u]30n  pro]3ertv  belonging  to  the 
Litchfield  estate  has  been  brought  to  a  successful  termination. 
For  this  great  credit  shotdd  be  given  to  our  })resent  corpora- 
tion counsel.  Through  this  settlement  the  city  has  realized 
the  sum  of  $426,524.04.    The  long  continued  litigation  with 


45 


the  elevated  roads  havS  aLso  been  settled  by  a  stipulation  under 
which  they  are  rapidly  paying  up  their  arrears.  From  them 
there  has  already  been  collected  the  sum  of  v$29,424.21 . 

The  fact  that  this  dc]:>artment  has  proved  efBcient  during 
your  administration  may  be  best  shown  by  a  comparison 
with  the  sums  collected  during  my  term  and  the  terms  of  my 
predecessors.  During  the  years  1892  and  189v)  there  were  col- 
lected in  this  department  $2,973,646.98;  during  the  Axars 
1894  and  1895,  $5,658,121.56,  and  during  the  years  1896  and 
1897  $6,269,241.50. 

As  the  official  terms  of  this  office  have  heretofore  run 
from  February  1st  to  February  1st,  there  still  remain  the 
amounts  which  will  be  collected  during  the  remainder  of 
this  month  and  the  month  of  January,  to  complete  the  vears 
1896  and  1897.  The  probabilities  are  that  by  that  time  the 
total  amount  collected  during  my  two  3^ears  will  amount  to 
about  $6,900,000. 

I  have  the  honor  to  remain. 


Yours  most  respectfullv, 


Registrar. 


Department  of  Law 


Work  accomplished  under  Corporation 
Counsel  Joseph  A.  Burr 


49 


Law  Department, 
Office  of  the  Attorney  and  Counsel, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December  21,  1897. 

Hon.  F.  W.  Wurster, 

Mayor,  etc. 

Dear  Sir — I  am  in  rccei])t  of  your  favor  of  the  29th  ultimo 
requesting;-  me  to  give  you  a  \vritten  statement  of  the  work 
done  by  this  department  in  the  past  two  years,  setting  forth 
especiallv  the  conspicuous  things  accomplished.  In  reply  I  haA'c 
the  honor  to  state  as  follows  : 

Since  January  1,  189(^,  thirty  cases  in  which  the  city  of 
Brooklyn  was  interested  have  been  argued  in  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals. In  nineteen  of  these  cases  decisions  have  been  rendered 
in  favor  of  the  city  and  in  ten  cases  against  the  city,  one  at  this 
date  remaining  undecided. 

In  the  Appellate  Division  of  the  Supreme  Court  eighty-eight 
appeals  were  argued  and  decided.  Forty-seven  of  these  cases 
were  decided  in  favor  of  the  city  and  forty-one  against  the  city. 

There  were  three  hundred  and  one  actions  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty -eight  certiorari,  mandamus  and  other  special  pro- 
ceedings commenced  against  the  city. 

Three  hundred  and  twenty-three  actions  and  proceedings 
have  been  finally  disposed  of. 

Among  the  actions  above  mentioned  were  many  to  recover 
damages  for  personal  injuries.  Thirty-four  of  such  actions  in 
which  the  amount  claimed  was  $458,500,  have  been  tried. 
Twenty-one  of  these  resulted  favorably  to  the  cit}^,  either  bv 
dismissal  of  the  complaint,  verdict  for  the  defendant,  or  upon 
appeal,  and  in  one  the  jury  disagreed.  The  amount  recovered 
by  the  plaintiff  in  the  remaining  twelve  cases  was  $25,850, 
being  about  5.63  per  cent. 

Five  hundred  and  fortv-three  violations  of  the  buildinf^  law 

have  been  referred  to  this  department  by  the  Commissioner  of 

Buildings  for  prosecution.    In  five  hundred  and  seven  of  these 
7 


50 

the  actions  and  proceedings  have  been  settled  or  judgment  en- 
tered, and  the  remaining  thirt\'-six  are  now  in  course  of  settle- 
ment. 

Five  hundred  and  eighty-six  proceedings  taken  in  the  laying 
of  assessments,  and  six  hundred  and  eight  contract  proceedings 
have  been  examined  and  certified  in  accordance  with  the  ])ro- 
visions  of  the  charter,  making  a  total  of  one  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-four  assessment  and  contract  ]3roceedings  so 
examined  and  certified. 

Fifty  proceedings  for  street  openings  were  in  charge  of  this 
department.  Twent3^-six  of  these  have  been  completed,  aSvSess- 
ments  levied  and  warrants  issued.  Four  only  of  them  are  now 
in  progress  of  hearing  before  the  commissioners.  In  twelve, 
the  reports  of  the  commissioners  are  complete  and  awaiting 
confirmation,  and  eight  were  rescinded  by  resolution  of  the 
common  council. 

The  titles  of  the  owners  of  the  land  in  fifteen  streets  laid  out 
on  the  commissioners'  map  of  the  city  who  have  made  deeds  of 
cession  to  the  city  have  been  passed  upon  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  the  charter. 

The  titles  to  forty-eight  separate  parcels  of  land  ])urchased 
by  the  city  were  examined  and  passed  under  the  supervision  of 
this  department.  In  each  case  policies  of  title  insurance  were 
obtained  and  delivered  to  the  proper  officers. 

Eight  hundred  and  nine  bills  directly  or  indirectly  afiecting 
the  city  were  introduced  in  the  Legislature.  These  were  all  ex- 
amined and  many  arguments  made  before  committees  in  refer- 
ence to  them.  One  hundred  and  eighty-five  of  such  bills  specifi- 
cally affecting  the  city  became  laws. 

Numerous  opinions  w^ere  called  for.  In  many  cases  oral 
opinions  w^ere  sufficient  for  instruction,  but  in  two  hundred  and 
sixty-two  instances,  written  opinions  were  delivered,  very  many 
of  which  required  careful  study  and  preparation. 

Twenty-one  actions  and  proceedings  other  than  those  above 
mentioned  have  been  commenced  b}^  the  city,  seventeen  being 
for  the  foreclosure  of  mortgages.    All  of  the  foreclosure  actions 


51 


have  been  finally  disposed  of  by  settlement  or  sale  under  fore- 
closure, except  one,  the  sale  in  which  is  about  to  take  place. 

Sixty  actions  were  commenced  by  the  city  and  tried  in 
justices'  courts  for  j^ennlties  for  violations  of  the  ordinance 
regulating  the  speed  of  trolley  cars,  in  all  of  w^hich  the  city  was 
successful. 

Two  thousand,  three  hundred  and  forty-two  claims  for  re- 
bates of  excise  license  fees  were  filed  and  referred  to  this  de- 
partment. All  but  two,  which  are  now  under  examination, 
have  been  examined  and  reported  for  settlement.  The  total 
amount  paid  out  of  the  revenue  fimd  in  settlement  of  these 
claims  is  $179,354.40. 

At  the  inception  of  your  administration  numerous  and  diffi- 
cult questions  arose  regarding  the  construction  of  the  law  con- 
solidating the  covmty  of  Kings  with  the  city  of  Brookhm,  which 
took  efiect  January  1,  1896.  A  number  of  such  questions  re- 
quired judicial  determination,  and  in  many  instances  legislation 
was  necessary  and  was  procured  to  enable  the  city  to  meet 
the  altered  conditions  and  to  properly  manage  the  affairs  of  the 
county  in  connection  with  its  own.  Cases  growing  out  of  the 
consolidation,  which  were  taken  into  the  courts,  were  in  the 
nature  of  test  cases,  as,  for  instance,  the  McGinness  case,  w^hich 
settled  the  rights  of  certain  appointees  of  the  old  Board  of 
Supervisors.  The  city  was  successful  in  these  matters,  and  thus 
a  large  number  of  actions  were  avoided  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  commenced. 

So  far  as  the  amount  involved  is  concerned,  the  Stack  case 
is  the  most  important  case  in  which  the  city  has  been  interested 
for  several  years.  An  adverse  decision  would  h^ive  recpiircd  the 
payment  of  additional  salaries  to  members  of  the  ])olicc  force, 
amounting  to  more  than  $1,500,000. 

Other  important  cases  were : 

The  Elevated  Railroad  tax  cases,  involving  the  validity  of 
the  taxes  of  1893  and  1894  on  the  tracks  and  su])erstructure  of 
the  roads.  The  cit\'  was  successful  at  the  Appellate  Division 
and,  no  appeal  being  taken,  the  cases  were  settled,  and  the 


52 


roads  arc  now  jiayins^-  the  taxes  in  accordance  with  the  stipu- 
hitions  entered  into  on  settlement. 

The  Incbrintcs'  Home  cnsc  involvinLj:  the  ri^ht  of  the  Home 
to  a  certain  percentage  of  the  excise  inonevs  collected  for 
1895.  If  the  decision  had  been  adverse  to  the  city,  $156,000 
wonld  have  been  paid  to  the  Home  for  1895,  for  its  su]:)]:)ort 
and  maintenance,  a  sum  far  in  excess  of  its  needs. 

The  c[uestion  involved  in  the  Chnrity  Cominissiouers  case, 
as  to  the  control  of  the  Common  Council  over  unexpended  bal- 
ances of  appropriations  for  purposes  which  were  formerlv 
county  purposes,  was  determined  by  the  decision  of  the  Appel- 
late Division  in  favor  of  the  city,  from  which  no  a])peal  was 
taken. 

The  Chittenden  cnse,  popularly  known  as  the  Civil  Service 
ease,  was  decided  adversely  to  the  contention  of  this  depart- 
ment by  the  Special  Term  and  the  Appellate  Division,  but  the 
Cotu't  of  Appeals  reversed  the  decisions  of  the  courts  below. 

In  the  Hart  case,  the  plaintiff  claimed  the  sum  ol'  $102,085 
upon  foin-  causes  of  action  growing  out  of  a  contract  for  the 
construction  of  a  part  of  the  water  works  system.  Upon 
three  of  the  causes  of  action  decision  has  been  rendered  in  favor 
of  the  eitv,  from  which  the  plaintiff  has  appealed  to  the  Appel- 
late Division.  The  fotu'th  cause  of  action  resulted  in  a  judg- 
ment for  the  plaintiff  for  $37,304.80,  from  which  the  city  has 
appealed. 

The  passing  of  the  Liquor  Tax  law  entitled  those  persons 
who  held  licenses  for  the  sale  of  liquor  from  the  former  excise 
commissioners  of  the  cit}^  of  Brooklyn,  which  licenses  had  not 
expired  on  the  30th  day  of  June,  1896,  to  a  rebate  of  the  fees 
previously  paid  by  them  for  that  portion  of  the  term  which 
had  not  ex])ired.  Steps  were  immediately  taken  to  make  such 
refunds  without  awaiting  legal  proceedings,  by  which  the  sum 
of  over  $60,000  was  saved  in  costs. 

The  sum  of  $128,000  was  saved  to  the  city  by  the  resist- 
ance offered  to  the  act  of  the  Legislature  seeking  to  compel  a 
levy  by  the  common  council  of  $224,780  in  payment  of  the 


53 


unpaid  balance  of  county  taxes  of  1873,  with  interest,  remain- 
ing a  charge  upon  the  books  of  the  State  comptroller  against 
the  count\^  of  Kings.  A  compromise  of  the  measure  was 
finally  effected  so  that  $95,937.85,  the  original  claim,  could  be 
paid  bv  the  citv  in  full  of  all  claims,  in  three  annual  instal- 
ments. 

The  settlement  under  authority  of  Chapter  523  of  the  Laws 
of  1897  of  the  long-standing  questions  and  proceedings  be- 
tween the  Litchfield  estate  and  the  city  is  a  matter  upon  which 
the  city  is  to  be  congratulated.  The  Litchfields  paid  into  the 
city  treasiiry  the  sum  of  $4-70, 000  in  addition  to  the  sum  of 
$250,000  previousl_v  paid  by  them  under  the  order  of  the  court, 
and  gave  a  general  release  to  the  city  in  full  settlement  of  all 
pending  matters. 

The  acquirement  of  the  Brookh-n  and  Jamaica  Plank  Road 
for  the  sum  of  $55,000  removed  another  matter  of  controversy 
extending  over  a  number  of  years,  the  solution  of  which  seemed 
almost  impossible. 

In  April,  1895,  the  common  council  passed  an  ordinance 
requiring  every  railroad  company  operating  cars  by  electricity 
to  attach  to  the  front  platform  of  each  car  a  safety  fender  or 
safeguard  extending  to  within  not  more  than  three  inches  from 
the  tracks.  Shortly  after  the  passage  of  this  ordinance  a  suit 
was  brought  against  one  of  the  companies  for  a  violation  oi 
this  ordinance  which  upon  the  trial  was  decided  against  the 
city.  During  the  present  year  eight  suits  were  brought  by  the 
city  against  four  of  the  companies  for  violations  of  the  ordi- 
nance. One  of  the  suits  against  the  Nassau  Electric  Railroad 
Compam^,  which  was  in  the  nature  of  a  test  case,  was  tried 
before  Justice  Van  Wart,  who  rendered  decision  in  favor  of  the 
city,  with  costs.  Appeal  was  taken  by  the  railroad  company 
to  the  Count\'  Court,  which  has  recently  afiirmed  the  decision 
of  Justice  Van  Wart  upon  the  merits. 

Yotirs  respectfully, 


Corporation  Counsel. 


Department  of  Assessment 


HAT  HAS  BEEiN  DONE  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  ASSESSORS 

UNDER  President  B.  G.  Neff 


57 


Depaktmkxt  of  Assessment,  Municipal  Department 

Building. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December  15,  1897. 

Hon.  F.  W.  Wukstek, 

Mayor. 

Dear  Sir. — Referring  to  your  reqiiCvSt  of  the  29tli  ultimo  for 
a  written  statement  setting  forth  the  conspicuous  things  ac- 
complished by  this  department  during  the  past  two  years,  I 
have  the  honor  to  submit  as  follows  : 

In  accordance  with  the  act,  Flatlands  was  annexed  to  the 
city  on  January  1,  1896;  this  increased  the  city's  area  by 
5,480  acres,  equal  to  .14  per  cent,  of  its  acreage,  besides  adding 
nearly  7,()0()  to  the  population. 

The  present  population  of  the  city  is  estimated  at  1,189,- 
000,  the  total  area,  exclusive  of  marsh  lands  and  islands  in 
Jamaica  Bay,  amounting  to  38,978  acres.  Seven  Assessment 
Committees,  composed  of  two  Assessors  each,  are  annualh' 
appointed  to  assess  this  territory.  So  that  each  committee  is 
required  to  assess  annually,  on  an  average,  about  5,570  acres, 
comprising  some  32,055  separate  parcels  of  real  estate  in  each 
district  of  assessment. 

There  is  rec[uired  for  the  entries  of  the  amounts  of  these 
assessments,  with  the  names  of  the  owners  of  the  various  par- 
cels assessed,  including  diagrams  of  the  same  describing  the 
boundaries  thereof  as  expressed  in  the  various  deeds  of  convey- 
ance, 120  Assessment  Rolls  covering  between  26,000  and 
27,000  pages  of  records,  and  62  Ward  or  Field  Maps. 

The  recent  great  commercial  and  industrial  depression  has 
been  so  marked  in  its  influence  uj^on  values — as  evidenced  b}' 
the  trend  of  such  values  during  the  past  two  vears — that  a 
reference  to  the  same  here  seems  unavoidable. 

The  analysis  following  clearly  illustrates  this  point : 


8 


58 


The  aggregate  net  increase  during  the  past  two 
years  in  the  valuations  of  the  various  descrip- 
tions of  property  assessed  ecpials   $37, 44-9, 056 

Such  increase  being  made  up  from  the  lollow- 
ing  sources : 

Assessed  valuation, new  buildings...  $19,r)v')4',548 

Personal  property   10, ()()!, 275 

Increase  in  real  estate  in  the  new 

wards,  including  the  accession  of 

Flatlands,  less  the  new  buildings 

noted  above  

Net  increase  in  mileage  assessments 
The  net  increase  in  real  estate  over 

the  old  city  proper  for  the  past 

two  years  amounts,  therefore,  to 

but  

The  sum  of  the  above  items  repre- 
senting the  increase  in  the  various 
classes  of  property  assessed  in  the 
past  two  years  is  accordingly  


7,157,723 
318,649 


357,461 


$37,449,656 


At  no  period  in  the  recent  history  of  the  city  has  such  a 
condition  of  A^alues  obtained.  It  will  be  noted  in  the  above, 
w4th  the  exception  of  new  property  actually  added,  that  the 
assessable  values  have  remained  almost  stationarv ;  notwith- 
standing the  increase  of  the  city's  popvdation  by  nearlv  1  ()(),()00 
persons,  coupled  with  the  magnificent  transit  service  which 
now  covers  the  principal  streets,  bringing  the  dift'erent  and 
even  the  most  remote  sections  into  rapid  and  easy  communica- 
tion with  each  other. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  briefly  refer  to  a  per  capita 
comparison  of  the  valuations,  tax  levies  and  tax  rates  during 
your  administration  with  the  average  of  the  administrations 
of  vour  predecessors  for  the  ten  years  immediatelv  preceding: 


59 


ASSESSA  HLE  VALUATIOWS. 

The  average  of  the  assessable 

valuations  per  capita  for  such 

period  of  ten  vears  was   $517  96 

Under  vour  administration  the 

average  for  the  two  years  was..         507  35 

The  average  decrease  in  assessa- 
ble resources  per  capita  has, 

therefore,  been   $10  61 


TAX  LEVIES. 

The  average  amount  of  the  per 

capita  tax  levy  for  the  ten  years 

ending  with  1895  was   $14  17 

Under  your  administration  the 

averaore  for  the  two  vears  was. . .  14  15 


Showing  a  decrease  of.   02 

During  your  administration  large 
sums  were  placed  in  the  levy  to 
meet  extraordinary  appropria- 
tions, and  for  deficiencies  re- 
quired for  various  purposes  in 
the  newlv  annexed  wards,  the 
total  of  which  aggregated  $537,434  00 

The  increase  placed  in  the  levy 
for  State  taxes  alone,  during 
the  past  two  years,  as  com- 
pared with  the  average  of  the 
ten  previous  years  aggregates..  727,019  00 

Making  a  total  for  these  two 
items  of   $1,264,453  00 

On  the  basis  of  the  current  popu- 
lation this  is  equal  to  a  per 

capita  charge  of   106 


6o 


To  arrive  at  a  fair  basis  of  eoni- 
])arison,  this  sum  should  l^e  de- 
ducted from  the  average  levy 
of  $14.17,  noted  above,  which 
would  accordinoly  reduce  the 

same  to   $1:M1 

This  is  the  lowest  per  capita  tax  levy  for  the  ])ast  twelve 
years. 

thp:  tax  rate. 

The  average  tax  rate  per  $1(){)  of  valuation  in  the  current 

year  over  the  whole  citv  is  v$2  8v'^ 

The  average  rate  over  the  old  city  ])roper,  comprising  the 
first  twenty-eight  wards,  for  the  ten  years  ending 
with  1895  was   2  72 

The  extraordinary^  sums  placed  in  the  levy,  as  previously 
noted,  are  equal  to  an  addition  of  11  cents  in  the  tax  rate  on 
every  $100  of  valuation. 

Vou  will,  therefore,  please  note  that  with  this  deduction  the 
average  current  tax  rate  over  the  whole  city,  /.  e.,  including  all 
of  the  newly  annexed  wards,  is  identical  with  the  first  twenty- 
eight  wards  only,  as  shown  above. 

I  directed  special  efforts  this  year  to  augment  the  assess- 
ments of  individuals;  toward  which  object,  a  thorough  and 
careful  selection  of  names  was  furnished  to  me  by  the  Assess- 
ment Committees ;  between  thirteen  and  fourteen  thousand 
notices  of  assessment  were  forwarded  to  such  ])ersons  through 
the  mails.  After  hearing,  and,  in  many  cases,  tedious  examina- 
tions of  the  persons  so  assessed,  less  than  33  })er  cent,  of  them 
were  retained  on  the  rolls,  66  per  cent,  of  those  aSvSessed 
"swearing  off"  under  the  provisions  afforded  them  by  the  acts 
made  and  provided.  Notices  were  duh^  forwarded  this  year  to 
()31  corporations.  We  succeeded  in  holding  out  of  the  total 
number  297  companies,  with  an  aggregate  assessment  of  $19,- 
520,056.  The  assessment  of  the  shareholders  of  bank  stock 
shows  quite  an  increase,  $4,354,522  being  retained  on  the 


6i 


rolls,  apportioned  anioiii;'  l,v)71  shareholders.  The  inerease  in 
the  property  exempt  in  the  eitv  is  worthy  of  note,  our  reeords 
showing  a  total  value  of  sueh  ])roperty  aggregating  $166,- 
759,427. 

The  addition  of  the  new  wards  to  the  city  has  greatly  in- 
creased that  branch  of  our  work  requiring  the  division  of  large 
areas  of  land  into  lots  and  the  constant  changes  and  correc- 
tions on  the  assessment  maps  to  correspond.  During  the  two 
x^ears  10,422  apportionments  of  property  have  been  made,  and 
6,291  map  corrections. 

The  Committee  on  Local  Improvements  completed  during 
the  past  two  years  a  total  number  of  635  different  assess- 
ments, involving  an  amount  of  $4,401,474,  requiring  the 
assessment  of  37,373  parcels  of  property.  This  largely  exceeds 
the  amount  of  work  of  this  character  accomplished  by  the 
department  in  any  similar  period  in  the  past. 

The  action  of  the  Board  in  the  settlement  of  the  Litchfield 
arrears  controversy  is  worth^^  of  mention  at  this  place. 

At  its  meeting  on  the  27th  of  July,  1897,  this  whole  subject 
was  carefully  reviewed  by  the  various  members ;  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  settlement,  coming  within  our  jurisdiction, 
were  fully  considered  and  finally  approved.  Thus  was  ended  a 
long,  vexatious  litigation,  highly  advantageous  to  the  citv, 
with  the  result  that  there  was  covered  into  the  City  Treasury 
the  sum  of  $470,000,  the  discontinuance  of  all  actions  against 
the  city,  in  which  over  $500,000  was  involved,  besides  releas- 
ing a  large  amount  of  valuable  property  which  became  at  once 
marketable  and  tax-producing. 

The  annual  report  of  this  department  for  the  year  1897, 
submitted  to  your  Honor  herewith,  contains  much  information 
in  detail  descri])tive  of  the  vast  work  annually  performed  by 
this  Board,  and  proof  sustaining  beyond  question  the  care  and 
fidelity  with  which  such  work  is  performed  bv  its  members. 

Respectfidly  yours. 


President  of  Department  of  Assessment. 


Department  of  Police 
AND  Excise 

What  has  been  accomplished  by  Commissioner 
Leonard  R.  Welles 


65 


Commissioner's  Op^p^ice,  Department  of  Police  and  Excise, 
Municipal  Building, 

Brooklvn,  N.Y.,  December  5,  1897. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wurster, 

Mayor. 

Dear  Sir. — Agreeabl\'  to  your  suggestion  I  have  the  honor 
to  submit  herewith  a  history  of  the  Police  Department  of  the 
city  of  BrookK^n  during  the  past  four  years,  while  I  have 
been  Commissioner.  I  can  say  without  fear  of  contradiction 
that  never  before  in  the  life  of  the  department  has  the  force 
reached  its  present  condition  of  efhciency,  and  I  feel  justly  proud 
of  the  knowledge  that  through  my  efforts,  and  the  assistance 
rendered  by  the  different  commanding  officers,  the  department 
will  become  part  of  the  force  of  Greater  New  York,  with  a 
record  inferior  to  none  of  the  others  and  comparing  favorabh- 
with  any  other  department  in  the  United  States. 

During  my  administration  there  have  been  many  changes  in 
the  personnel  of  the  force,  and  I  may  say  with  truth  that  I  have 
virtually  reconstructed  the  department.  When  I  assumed  con- 
trol on  February  1,  1894,  I  found  the  force  to  coUvsist  of  1,583 
men.  These  were  divided  among  twenty -two  precincts.  At 
the  present  time  there  are  thirt\'  precincts  and  1,829  men.  In 
that  time  it  has  become  my  duty  to  appoint  two  superintend- 
ents, two  deputy  superintendents,  five  insj^ectors  and  fifteen 
captains,  besides  many  subordinate  officers.  The  opportunity 
afforded  me  has,  of  course,  been  very  great,  but  I  feel  confident 
that  the  promotions  thus  made  have  met  with  the  approval  of 
the  public,  and  were  wholly  in  the  interest  of  the  improvement 
of  the  department. 

It  has  been  one  of  my  favorite  projects  to  provide  better 
accommodations  for  the  members  of  the  force,  to  furnish  them 
with  comfortable  homes,  and  to  that  end  I  have  used  every 

9 


66 


facility  at  my  command.  Tliere  have  been  erected  during  mv 
administration  three  new  station  houses,  and  thev  are  admit- 
tedly the  most  complete  buildinos  for  police  station  piir])oses  in 
the  country.  Police  officials  of  other  cities,  who  have  visited 
them,  are  unanimous  in  their  jjraise,  and  upon  returnino-  home 
they  have  cited  these  station  houses  as  ideal  models  for  such 
structures.  There  are  still  a  number  of  buildings  used  as  sta- 
tion houses  which  are  rented,  and  it  is  mv  judgment  that  as 
soon  as  practicable  the  gi'eater  city  should  replace  these  build- 
ings with  new  ones,  owned  by  the  city  and  fashioned  after  those 
recently  completed.  I  find  from  experience  that  policemen  pro- 
vided with  comfortable  quarters  are  inclined  to  do  better  work 
and  are  better  pleased  with  their  situation.  In  advocating 
these  im])rovements,  I  have  found  your  Honor  and  your  ])rede- 
cessor  willing  at  all  times  to  aid  me  in  my  eftbrts  in  this  direc- 
tion. 

Hardlv  had  I  become  familiar  with  the  routine  of  the  de- 
partment when  I  was  confronted  with  a  problem  that  has 
proved  very  difficult  to  solve.  That  problem  was  brought 
about  by  the  annexation  of  the  town  of  Gravesend  to  the  city 
of  Brooklyn.  By  this  annexation  Coney  Island  was  brought 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  this  department,  and  as  it  was  in 
a  peculiarh'  demoralized  condition  the  manner  of  policing  it 
caused  me  great  uneasiness.  It  was  necessary  to  send  patrol- 
men from  other  precincts  to  take  charge  of  this  district,  and  as 
they  were  all  strangers  to  this  section  their  work  had  to  be 
carefullv  watched.  The  annexation  took  i)lace  on  May  5, 1894, 
just  at  the  opening  of  the  season,  and  the  administration  of 
affairs  at  this  resort  was  undertaken  without  any  previous 
knowledge  of  its  peculiarities,  except  as  to  its  general  bad  rc])- 
utation.  This  problem  was  met  and  overcome  in  a  manner 
that  has  elicited  words  of  praise  from  all  sources.  The  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  people  who  have  visited  this  resort  every 
season  have  been  cared  for  with  great  success,  and  the  reports 
from  the  precinct  during  four  seasons  show  that  crime  was 
kept  at  a  minimum. 


67 


About  this  time  the  towns  of  Flatbush  and  New  Utrecht 
were  annexed  to  the  city  and  the  territory  required  to  be  cov- 
ered was  very  much  increased,  without  corresponding  in- 
crease in  the  force.  The  police  of  these  towns  became  members 
of  this  department  by  annexation,  but  they  were  few  in  number 
and  entireh^  inadequate  to  patrol  the  newK'  added  territor\\ 
It  was  found  necessary  to  transfer  men  from  other  precincts  to 
these  towns,  and  as  they  were  filled  with  summer  resorts,  it 
necessitated  the  weakening  of  other  parts  of  the  city  to  supply 
the  requisite  protection  to  these  places.  Two  precincts  and 
three  sub-precincts  were  organized  in  the  annexed  towns  of 
Gravesend,  Flatbush  and  New  Utrecht,  the  latter  subsequently 
being  made  full  precincts.  The  addition  of  many  miles  of 
water  front  made  the  problem  of  policing  these  added  districts 
very  difficult,  because  of  the  limited  number  of  officers  at  my 
disposal.  I  have  the  satisfaction,  however,  of  knowing  that 
the  necessary  protection  was  afforded  to  this  territory  and 
nothing  but  praise  has  been  given  for  the  work  of  the  depart- 
ment under  such  adverse  circumstances.  A  greater  portion  of 
this  newly  acquired  district  is  farming  land,  and  the  idea  of 
covering  it  completeK^  by  the  ordinary-  patrol  service  was 
hardh^  possible.  To  obviate  this  the  mounted  squads  were  in- 
creased, and  the  new  men  were  distributed  among  the  precincts 
in  this  added  territor^^  By  this  means  the  service  was  im- 
proved and  the  residents  of  the  outlying  sections  were  given  as 
much  protection  as  the  rest  of  the  city. 

The  addition  of  this  new  territory'  necessitated  the  creation 
of  an  additional  inspection  district,  and  on  Mav  4,  1894,  this 
district  was  established  and  was  made  u])  of  the  Twelfth,  Sev- 
enteenth, Eighteenth  and  Twenty-second  Precincts  and  all  the 
annexed  districts.  Captain  William  J.  McKclvev  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  Insj^ector  and  placed  in  command  of  the  new 
district.  On  October  9,  1894,  the  Twenty-third  Precinct  was 
created,  and  in  October,  1894,  the  Seventeenth  Sub-Precinct 
was  organized.  It  consisted  of  that  portion  of  the  Twentv- 
sixth  Ward  known  as  Brownsville,  and  was  established  at  the 


68 


request  of  the  citi;cens  of  that  section,  who  complained  bitterh^ 
of  the  depredations  and  lawlessness  rampant  there.  Since  the 
new  precinct  has  been  in  operation,  the  district  has  become  as 
lawabiding-  as  anv  in  the  citv. 

The  Excise  Bureau  was  a  part  of  the  Police  Department  for 
over  two  years  of  my  term,  and  my  duties  as  president  of  the 
Board  of  Excise  were  very  onerous.  Commissioners  Forrester 
and  Hacker  were  my  colleagues  in  that  board,  and  I  am  fullv 
able  to  say  that  the  conduct  of  the  board  was  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  satisfy  generally  all  the  interests  concerned.  We 
determined  to  carry  out  the  laws  as  we  found  them  and  it  is  a 
matter  of  record  that  very  little  just  criticism  was  ever  made 
against  the  board. 

Early  in  the  second  year  of  my  administration  the  ]K^lice 
force  was  called  upon  to  meet  an  emergency  that  proved  too 
much  for  it.  On  January  14,  1895,  a  strike  was  inaugurated 
upon  three  of  the  largest  systems  of  street  railroads,  and  it 
continued  for  over  five  weeks.  It  was  unparalleled  in  magnitude, 
and  was  the  first  extensive  strike  upon  the  electric  roads. 
It  involved  over  262  miles  of  track,  more  than  forty  power 
houses,  car  houses  and  stations,  and  over  60,000  miles  of 
wire.  The  extent  of  territory  included  from  Newtown  Creek 
to  Coney  Island  and  from  the  river  to  Queens  Count}'.  The 
peculiar,  fanlike  construction  of  our  leading  avenues,  and  the 
fact  that  while  the  cars  and  terminals  had  to  be  watched 
through  the  day,  and  the  wires  at  night,  made  it  evident  that 
the  police  force  was  entirely  inadequate  to  afibrd  ]:)rotection 
and  prevent  destruction  of  property.  It  was  a  time  to  in'ove 
the  men,  and  show  what  the\'  were  made  of,  and  I  am  glad  to 
state  that,  with  few  exceptions,  the  members  of  the  force 
acquitted  themselves  with  great  credit.  For  ten  days  the 
entire  force  was  on  duty,  snatching  sleep  whenever  pos- 
sible, but  never  mtu'munng  about  their  duty.  Many  acts  of 
bravery  and  exhibitions  of  cool  judgment  were  chronicled  of 
members  of  the  department,  and  it  was  only  when  the  men 
were  completely  worn  out  and  unable  to  stand  the  strain  an^^ 


69 


longer  that  the  miHtia  were  called  in.  This  was  done  at  the 
request  of  Mayor  Schieren,  and  included  the  military  forces  of 
New  York  and  Brooklyn.  There  were  a  number  of  policemen 
tried  for  cowardice  and  indift'erence  during  that  crucial  period, 
and  thev  were  promptly  dismissed  from  the  force.  To  the 
credit  of  the  department  their  number  was  small,  and  the  gen- 
eral conduct  of  the  men  during  that  time  merited  my  com- 
mendation, which  was  heartily  given.  Military  officials  who 
watched  the  conflict  between  the  railroad  men  and  the  com- 
panies from  beginning  to  end  were  outspoken  in  their  praise  of 
the  work  performed  by  the  force  as  a  whole.  During  the 
trouble  over  600  arrests  were  made. 

On  March  2,  1895,  Superintendent  Patrick  Campbell  retired 
from  the  department  and  was  succeeded  by  Inspector  William  J. 
McKelvey.  Captain  Thomas  Murphy  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Inspector  vice  AIcKelvey,  and  Captain  John  Brennan 
made  Inspector  vice  Edw^ard  Rielly,  deceased. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  five  members  of  the  Atlantic 
Dock  Squad  were  added  to  the  force  in  March,  1895. 

The  opening  of  the  new  20th  Precinct  station  house,  at  the 
corner  of  Hamburg  and  DeKalb  avenues,  w^as  another  event 
that  marked  the  year  1895.  On  September  26th,  the  keys  were 
formally  turned  over  to  the  department  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  number  of  city  ofiicials  and  citizens  who  thoroughly  in- 
spected the  house  and  were  delighted  with  its  completeness  and 
perfect  adaptation  for  the  purpose. 

The  first  day  of  January,  1896,  saw-  the  annexation  of  the 
town  of  Flatlands  to  the  city,  the  ofiicers  of  the  Flatlands 
force  being  sworn  in  as  patrolmen.  This  added  another  large 
slice  of  territory  and  man^-  miles  of  water  front  to  be  looked 
after  by  this  department,  and  it  was  given  the  same  attention 
as  the  other  suburban  towns.  More  mounted  men  w^ere  ap- 
])ointed  and  assigned  to  this  ])recinct  and  thus  succeeded  in 
furnishing  every  portion  of  it  with  police  service. 

Other  changes  in  the  department  during  the  year  1896  in- 
cluded the  creation  of  the  position  of  deputy  superintendent 


70 


and  the  appointment  of  Inspector  John  Mackellar  to  that 
place;  the  abolishment  of  the  central  office  squad  ;  the  forma- 
tion of  the  23d  sub-precinct,  comi)rising  the  section  known  as 
Parkville;  and  the  establishment  of  the  followini;-  full  precincts: 
27th  precinct,  formerly  the  17th  sub  (Brownsville);  28th  pre- 
cinct, formerly  the  24th  sub  (Sheepshead  Bay ) ;  and  the  21)th 
precinct,  formerly  the  25th  sub  (  Bensonhurst ). 

On  the  19th  of  Noyember,  1896,  the  9th  ]M-ecinct  station 
house,  located  at  the  corner  of  Gates  and  Throop  ayenues,  was 
turned  oyer  to  the  department.  This  house  combines  all  the 
improvements  of  ventilation,  heating  appliances,  adaptation 
for  service,  etc.,  that  is  possible  to  secure  for  the  efficient  work- 
ing of  the  de])artment,  and,  without  doubt  represents  the  most 
complete  building  for  the  purpose  in  the  country. 

During  the  present  year  a  considerable  number  of  changes 
have  taken  place  in  the  department.  Bv  an  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature the  ranking  officers  of  the  old  Flatlands  force,  who  were 
originally  sworn  in  as  patrolmen,  were  restored  to  their  old 
rank.  The  23d  sub-precinct  was  made  the  30th  precinct,  being 
the  eighth  new^  precinct  organized  during  my  administration. 

Another  change  in  the  office  of  superintendent  occurred  in 
October.  Superintendent  W.  J.  McKelvev  retired  and  Deputy 
Superintendent  John  Mackellar  w^as  named  in  his  place.  In- 
spector Elias  P.  Clayton  became  deputy  superintendent,  and 
Ca])t.  George  R.  Rhodes  w^as  appointed  inspector. 

In  1895  the  Bureau  of  Criminal  Investigation  and  Infor- 
mation was  organized  from  the  old  detective  bureau  and  ]:)laced 
in  charge  of  Detective  Sergeant  James  G.  Reynolds.  The  force 
under  him  was  increased  by  the  detailing  of  a  number  of  bright 
young  patrolmen,  who  had  shown  marked  ability  for  detective 
work,  and  the  restdt  has  been  very  flattering.  A  great  im- 
provement has  followed  this  change  and  the  bureau  has  be- 
come a  useful  part  of  the  department.  An  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  1897  made  the  bureau  equal  to  a  precinct  and  Detec- 
tive Sergeant  Re\molds  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  cajHain 
and  continued  in  charge  of  it. 


71 


After  agitating  the  matter  for  .several  years,  1  sueeeeded  in 
Oetoher,  1 81)7,  in  getting  rid  of  the  old  ])atr()l  boat  ''Judge 
Moore,"  which  had  always  been  a  useless  expense.  The  boat 
was  sold  by  Com])troller  Palmer  and  two  launches  were  then 
placed  in  commission  to  take  its  ]:)lace.  They  are  each  3(3  feet 
in  length  over  all ;  one  being  ])ropelled  by  naphtha  and  the 
other  by  alco-vapor  power.  The  water  front  from  Bay  Ridge 
to  Newtown  Creek  is  now  patrolled  by  these  launches  and  the 
service  is  all  that  could  be  desired.  They  are  peculiarh'  fitted 
for  this  purpose  and  will  prove  of  inestimable  benefit  to  the 
service. 

Shortly  before  the  close  of  1897,  the  new  station  house  for 
the  24th  precinct  was  turned  over  to  the  department.  This  is 
the  third  new  station  house  o])ened  since  I  assumed  charge  of 
the  department,  and  the  three  buildings  will  remain  monu- 
ments to  the  enterprise  of  the  administration  of  the  city 
government  during  the  past  four  years.  The  new  building  is 
as  fullv  equi])ped  for  police  work  as  the  other  two  and  was 
sadly  needed. 

The  patrol  box  system  and  the  patrol  wagon  service  have 
been  greatl\^  extended  during  the  past  four  years.  Five  addi- 
tional precincts  have  been  provided  with  the  patrol  box  tele- 
phone service  and  six  additional  precincts  have  been  supplied 
with  patrol  wagons.  This  makes  a  total  of  nineteen  precincts 
having  patrol  boxes  and  twenty-six  precincts  with  patrol 
wagons.  The  work  of  the  department  is  helped  a  great  deal 
by  this  service  and  it  should  be  extended  throughout  the  entire 
department. 

From  the  first  of  January,  1894,  until  December  1,  1897, 
there  have  been  3,954  men  arraigned  before  me  on  charges  of 
violating  the  rules  of  the  department  and  tried.  Of  these  110 
men  were  dismissed  from  the  force  and  fines  aggregating 
$41,731.83  imposed. 

The  hearty  co-operation  of  yourself,  together  with  that  of 
3'our  predecessor  in  office,  has  been  of  great  value  to  me  in 
carrying  out  the  improvements  and  reforms  inaugurated  as 


72 


detailed  in  the  forej^oine^  report.  The  only  drawback  to  more 
efficient  service  has  been  the  necessary  curtailment  in  regard  to 

o 

the  number  of  men  a]3pointed  on  the  force,  especially  as  the 
additional  territory  acquired  has  necessitated  an  increase  of 
service  without  the  corrcs])ondin2^  increase  of  men. 

Kes])cctfulh'  submitted, 


Commissioner. 


Department  of  Health 


Reports  of  the  work  of  the  Various  bureaus 
UNDER  Commissioner  Z.  Taylor  Emery,  M.  D. 


lO 


75 


Department  oe  Health,  Commissioner's  Oeeice, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December  20,  181)7. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wurster, 

Mayor  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn. 

Dear  Sir.— In  response  to  your  communication  of  Novem- 
ber 29th,  I  beg  to  enclose  a  statement  setting  forth  the  con- 
spicuous things  accompHshed  in  this  de])artment  in  the  various 
bureaus  during  the  last  two  years. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 


2. 


Commissioner  of  Health. 


Bureau  of  Vital  Statistics. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  improvements  made  in 
the  work  of  the  Bureau  of  Vital  Statistics : 

The  introduction  of  a  card  index  in  place  of  the  old  box 
index  for  births,  marriages  and  deaths ;  the  arrangement  in 
chronological  order  of  old  certificates  covering  several  of  the 
earlier  years,  which  had  been  in  a  state  of  confusion ;  the  in- 
dexing of  the  records  of  several  years  back,  which  were  unin- 
dexed  at  the  time  you  assumed  office  ;  the  enlargement  of  the 
vault  of  the  department  to  nearly  double  its  previous  capacity; 
and  the  alteration  of  the  weekly  report  from  a  foiu--page  state- 
ment of  vital  vStatistics  to  an  eight-page  statement  of  the 
entire  work  of  the  department. 

GEORGE  E.  WEvST,  M.D., 

Register  of  Records. 


76 


CoXTACIorS    DlSKASH  Bl'KKAU. 

The  follow  in  is  a  statement  of  the  improvements  made  in 
the  work  of  the  Contagious  Disease  Bureau : 

The  adoption  of  a  card  index  for  kee])ing  records  of  con- 
tagious diseases;  the  notification  of  Sunda^^-schools  and  danc- 
ing-schools of  the  location  of  houses  where  contagious  disease 
exist ;  more  careful  (juarantining  of  cases  of  contagious  dis- 
ease at  their  homes,  together  with  a  more  thorough  disinfec- 
tion of  such  houses  after  the  period  of  quarantine  has  expired  ; 
the  adoption  of  bacteriological  diagnosis  in  cases  of  diph- 
theria and  tuberculosis,  and  the  use  of  bacteriological 
cultures  to  determine  when  the  ])eriod  of  quarantine  in  cases  of 
diphtheria  shall  cease ;  the  removal  of  a  large  ntnnber  of  cases 
to  the  Contagious  Disease  Hospital,  wdie re  more  satisfactory 
provision  has  been  made  for  their  comfort;  a  more  systematic 
supervision  over  all  the  work  of  the  bureau ;  the  appointment 
of  expert  diagnosticians  to  diagnose  cases  where  the  attending 
physician  is  in  doubt. 

F.  A.  JEWETT,  M.D., 

Chief  of  Burcci u . 

Bureau  of  Chemistry  and  Food  Inspection. 

The  Bureau  of  Chemistry  and  Food  Inspection  was  organ- 
ized June  1,1894.  The  methods  of  inspection  adopted  con- 
form to  the  State  and  local  laws  governing  the  manufacture 
and  sale  of  food.  The  work  of  the  bureau  at  present  covers  the 
following  lines  :  Inspection  of  milk;  inspection  of  butcher  shops 
and  abattoirs;  the  examination  of  fruit  from  foreign  ports; 
dail\^  inspection  of  food  on  sale  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
markets ;  fire  inspection ;  dairy  inspection  ;  ins]:)ection  of  fish 
markets;  citizens'  complaints  investigated. 

A  chemical  laboratory  (being  a  necessary  adjunct  to  a 
bureau  of  food  inspection  )  was  equipped  to  make  examinations 
of  all  kinds  of  food  jM'oducts.    In  conjunction  with  the  Bureau 


77 


of  Bacteriology  an  auxiliary  laboratory  was  establivshed  at 
Rockville  Centre  for  the  systematic  examination,  both  chemical 
and  biological,  of  sam]:)les  of  water  from  different  sources  of 
the  Brooklyn  water  su])])ly. 

In  order  to  kee])  the  records,  thirty  forms  were  designed  and 
eighteen  books  recjuired.  The  census  of  all  places  selling  milk, 
groceries,  meat  and  fish  are  kept  by  means  of  card  catalogues. 
A  wagon  to  remove  condemned  food  and  a  carriage  for  the  use 
of  the  inspectors  in  the  outlying  wards  were  added  to  the 
equipment  of  the  bureau. 

G.  J.  VOLCKENING, 

Chief  Chemist. 

Bureau  of  Pli'mbixg  and  Drainage. 

Having  already  had  two  years  in  which  to  reorganize  this 
bureau  and  to  get  it  to  working  along  lines  in  harmony'  with 
the  best  modern  ideas  on  sanitation,  the  work  done  during  the 
past  two  years  has  been  very  effective  and  satisfactor3^  A 
trained  sanitary  engineer  has  been  continued  at  the  head  of  the 
bureau,  and  the  satisfactory  results  achieved  ha  ye  been  due 
mainly  to  his  steadfast  devotion  to  the  work  and  firm  yet 
courteous  treatment  of  owners  and  complainants. 

I  consider  the  improved  sanitary  condition  ofthe  city  to-day, 
as  compared  with  former  years,  to  be  one  of  the  chief  factors  in 
the  decided  reduction  of  the  death-rate;  and  in  this  yearly  sav- 
ing of  thousands  of  lives,  as  wxll  as  in  the  improved  health  of 
the  community,  which  cannot  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents, 
the  Health  Department  has  shown  a  large  return  for  every 
dollar  spent  and  has  amply  vindicated  its  right  to  continuance. 

The  plumbing  of  new  buildings  has  been  subjected  to  rigid 
inspections  as  to  material  and  workmanshi]),  so  that  the  sani- 
tary condition  of  more  than  20,000  houses  built  within  the 
past  four  years  can  with  confidence  be  ]:)ronounced  perfect. 
Against  old  buildings  more  than  20,000  complaints  have  been 
received  during  this  period  which  have  merited  investigation. 


78 


and  to  show  how  great  has  been  the  improvement  in  their  con- 
dition it  will  only  be  necessary  to  note  the  paucity  of  com- 
plaints in  1897,  as  compared  with  1895,  the  number  drop])ing 
from  over  6, ()()()  to  4,000. 

During  the  past  year  a  careful  examination  has  been  made 
of  all  the  ])ublic  and  private  schools  of  the  city,  a  detailed  re- 
port of  which  will  appear  in  ni}' annual  report.  In  nearly  every 
case  the  managers  of  private  schools  immediatelv  remedied 
any  defects  upon  notice,  so  that  the  ]3resent  sanitary  condition 
of  these  schools  is  very  satisfactorv ;  but  as  much  cannot  be 
said  of  the  public  schools,  some  of  which  arc  in  verv  poor  con- 
dition and  many  are  badly  overcrowded.  The  need  of  new 
schools  to  relieve  overcrowded  districts  and  extensive  rc])airs 
and  alterations  in  man\'  of  the  old  buildings  is  very  ])rcssing. 
It  is  indeed  unfortunate  that  the  necessary  funds  could  not 
have  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Board  of  Education  to  give 
our  children  proper  educational  facilities. 

The  large  dei)artment  stores  have  received  attention,  and  in 
manv  cases  the  entire  phmibing  system  has  been  overhauled, 
thus  greatly  improving  their  sanitarj^  condition ;  but  the  lack 
of  adequate  ventilation  still  merits  the  consideration  of  their 
owners.  The  continuous  crowding  of  many  thousands  of  ])eo- 
plc  into  these  stores  presents  a  problem  on  ventilation  of  no 
mean  proportions. 

The  problem  of  garbage  disposal  has  been  met,  and  we  hope 
solved,  in  a  satisfactory-  manner.  Instead  of  being  dumped  at 
sea  as  formerly,  it  is  now  carried  to  Barren  Island  and  reduced 
to  grease  and  fertilizer  at  less  cost  to  the  city  than  under  the 
old  method  of  disposal. 

W.  W.  LOCKE, 

Sr nitary  Engineer. 


79 


Contagious  Disease  Hospitae. 

Early  in  1894  a  three-story  brick  building  30x60  feet  was 
erected,  containing  a  nurses'  home,  consisting  of  a  dormitory 
of  twelve  rooms,  providing  for  two  sets  of  nurses;  a  laundry; 
a  disinfecting  plant ;  bath  and  discharging  rooms  for  the  use 
of  patients  leaving  the  hospital,  and  boiler  and  engine  room. 
This  building  was  fully  equipped  throughout.  The  laundry 
with  new  machinery ;  the  disinfecting  plant  with  the  necessary 
apparatus,  consisting  of  a  steam  disinfecting  chest  12x4x5  feet, 
and  all  essential  equipment  for  tlic  proper  divsinfection  of  articles 
by  this  process.  A  smaller  disinfecting  chest  was  put  in  a  build- 
ing erected  for  it,  which  contained,  besides  the  chest,  a  suite  of 
discharging  rooms  for  the  use  of  patients  discharged  from  the 
small-pox  ward. 

A  new  steam  boiler  was  added,  which,  with  extensive 
changes  to  the  entire  heating  system  of  the  plant,  replaced  the 
old  and  inefficient  method  of  heating  the  various  buildings. 

A  separate  hot-water  boiler  was  put  in,  furnishing  the  dift'er- 
ent  buildings  with  hot  water. 

Five  isolation  cottages  were  built  on  the  south  side  of  Fen- 
nimore  street,  and  the  same  enclosed  by  a  high  board  fence. 

The  ambulance  service  was  greatly  improved  by  the  pur- 
chasing of  a  new  small-pox  ambulance;  and  subsequentlv, 
two  more  ambulances  and  two  coupes,  all  of  which  have  been 
specially  fitted  for  the  nature  of  our  work. 

For  the  handling  of  goods  brought  to  the  plant  for  disinfec- 
tion, vsix  wagons  were  brought,  and  put  in  service.  This  work, 
together  with  other  work  of  the  hospital,  has  required  the 
keeping  of  about  ten  horses. 

The  disinfecting  ]:)lant,  put  in  operation  in  1804,  has  ])r()vcd 
a  most  important  factor  in  the  sanitary  administration  of  the 
cit\^    We  have  disinfected  by  this  process  90,852  articles. 

The  work  of  remodeling  and  repairing  the  old  buildings  has 
been  going  on  constantly.  Old  plumbing  has  been  removed 
and  replaced  by  more  sanitary  arrangements,  all  the  buildings 


So 


painted,  many  of  them  re-roofed  and  the  o^ronnds  and  roadways 
in  and  about  the  premises  put  in  shape. 

One  of  the  most  important  improvements  made  was  the  in- 
auguration of  a  system  for  the  dis])ositi()n  of  our  sewage,  which 
consists  of  a  settling  tank  50x20x14  feet,  built  of  brick,  into 
which  flows  through  drain  pipes  all  the  sewage  from  the 
twenty  diflerent  buildings  on  the  grounds.  Arrangements  made 
at  the  time  of  its  erection  enable  us  to  disinfect  and  settle  the 
sew^age,  and  to  pump  off  the  effiuent  through  a  force  main  into 
the  cit}'  sew^er  on  Clarkson  street,  the  remaining  sludge  being 
cremated.  Provision  made  at  the  time  also  enables  us  to  free 
the  plant  from  the  water  that  settles  on  the  low  ground  of  the 
hospital  nearly  every  s]H-ing  to  the  depth  of  several  feet. 

A  cremator  sufliciently  large  for  the  burning  of  infected  ar- 
ticles, garbage,  sewage  sludge,  etc.,  has  added  not  a  little  to  the 
maintenance  of  proper  sanitary  conditions. 

Among  the  minor  changes  may  be  mentioned  the  extension 
of  the  heating  system,  the  re-furnishing  of  the  wards,  the  erec- 
tion of  a  diet  kitchen  in  connection  with  the  isolation  cottages, 
the  partitioning  off  and  connecting  together  of  many  of  the 
old  wards,  the  addition  of  new  hospital  furniture  and  fixtures, 
an  incubator,  a  microscope  for  bacteriological  work ;  the  put- 
ting in  of  an  internal  telephone  system  connecting  the  different 
buildings  with  the  administration  building  ;  the  establishment 
of  a  local  fire  alarm  system,  fire  hose  and  cart,  several  new 
water  hydrants,  pump  and  fire  extinguishers,  and  a  fire  alarm 
telegraph  station,  all  of  which  contribute  to  the  comfort  and 
safety  of  the  occupants  of  the  hospital. 

One  thousand  six  hundred  and  ninety-three  cases  have  been 
received  and  treated  at  this  hospital  during  the  past  four  years, 
and  for  a  contagious  disease  hospital  the  death  rate  has  been 
low.  We  have  treated  487  cases  of  small-pox,  730  cases  of 
diphtheria,  218  cases  of  scarlet  fever,  150  cases  of  measles  and 
108  cases  of  other  diseases,  the  death  rate  for  the  hospital  being 
15.23  per  cent. 

The  use  of  antitoxin  was  begun  July  26,  1894,  since  which 


8i 


time  665  cases  of  diphtheria  have  received  the  serum  treat- 
ment, the  results  obtained  attesting  to  its  importance  as  a 
therapeutic  agent. 

A.  S.  AMBLER,  M.D., 

Medical  Superintendent. 

Bureau  of  Bacteriology. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  work  performed  by  this 
bureau  since  its  establishment,  and  especially  during  the  last 
two  vears.  These  are  the  bare  figures  and  do  not  convey  an 
adequate  idea  of  the  details  of  the  work,  which  has  been 
described  in  former  communications.  They  demonstrate,  how- 
ever, the  great  importance  of  this  line  of  work,  and  the  rela- 
tions of  this  bureau  to  other  departments  of  the  sanitary  ad- 
ministration. 

The  special  features  of  the  work  of  this  bureau  during  the 
last  two  \'ears,  aside  from  the  routine  work  of  diagnosis,  have 
been,  in  the  hrst  place,  a  considerable  amount  of  experimenta- 
tion in  disinfection,  especially  with  formaldehyde  gas.  This 
has  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  a  method  whereby  it  is  possible 
to  secure  prompt  and  thorough  disinfection  of  almost  any 
article  without  damage  In  the  second  place,  it  has  been  pos- 
sible to  prepare  an  antitoxine  for  tetanus  in  addition  to  that 
for  diphtheria,  without  additional  cost.  This  bureau  was  the 
first  to  arrive  at  definite  conclusions  in  regard  to  the  pro})er 
method  of  disinfection  against  the  bubonic  plague,  and  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  work  was  done  with  germs  of  this  disease. 
Much  work  has  also  been  done  on  the  bacteriology  of  vaccine 
virus.  The  work  done  hy  this  bureau  in  equipping  and  assist- 
ing in  the  operation  of  the  water-shed  laboratorv  has  alreadv 
been  described. 

E.  H.  WILSON,  M.D., 

Chief  of  Bureau. 


II 


82 


RocivViLLK  Centre  Lahoratokv. 

The  Rockvillc  Centre  Laboratory  for  the  sanitary  super- 
vision of  the  Brooklyn  Water  Supply  was  established  in  Oeto- 
ber,  1896.  Active  work  began  in  Deeember,  181)(),  the  inter- 
vening time  being  oeeupied  in  the  neeessary  preparations. 

The  design  of  the  laboratory  was  the  aeeuniulation  of  eom- 
plete  data  bearing  on  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  water 
supply,  and  the  continuous  supervision  of  the  same,  in  order  to 
record  the  changes  continually  occurring,  and  to  keep  the 
information  obtained  up  to  date  for  reference  and  ])racticaluse. 

About  two  hundred  examinations  for  sew^age  bacteria, 
thirteen  hundred  quantitative  examinations  for  bacteria,  one 
thousand  microscopical  examinations  and  one  thousand  chem- 
ical examinations  have  been  made  between  December,  1896, 
and  October,  1897.  The  conditions  giving  rise  to  the  odor  in 
the  city  w^ater  were  investigated  and  reported  submitted  in 
April  and  May,  1897.  Inspections  of  all  the  sources  of  supply 
have  been  made  and  reports  on  tw^o  of  the  most  unsanitary 
have  been  placed  in  \'our  hands.  A  detailed  report  of  the  whole 
work  is  now  nearing  completion. 

In  addition  to  tables  showing  the  actual  results  and  SA^nop- 
ses  of  the  analytical  data  dealing  w\th  each  pond,  a  general 
discussion  of  the  whole  w^ater-shed  basis  on  the  exhaustive 
information  accumulated,  a  description  of  the  methods  em- 
ployed in  making  inspections,  collecting  samples,  and  carrying 
on  the  analyses  will  be  given. 

The  practical  value  of  the  work  has  been  the  recording  of 
the  actual  character  of  the  w^ater  and  the  condition  of  the 
w^ater-shed  from  a  sanitary  standpoint,  during  a  ])eriod  of 
nearly  one  year.  The  definite  conclusions  arrived  at  have  been 
based  on  this  exhaustive  data,  and  the  recommendations  are 
made  with  the  full  knowlege  of  the  sanitary  measures  required 
to  place  the  supi)ly  in  a  safe  and  ])roper  condition. 

HIBBERT  HILL, 

Director. 


Department  of  Fire 


A   BRIEF  SUMMARY  OF  CHANGES  AND  IMPROVEMENTS 

IN  THE  Fire  Department  of  the  City  of 
Brooklyn  during  the  years  1894, 

189^,  1896  AND  1897 


85 


Headquarters  Department  oe  Fire, 
365-367  Jay  St. 

Brooklyn,  Dec.  22,  1897. 

Hon.  V.  \\ .  Wi'RSTER, 

Mayor. 

Dear  Sir. — To  enumerate  the  manv  chano-es  and  improve- 
ments that  have  been  made  in  the  Fire  Department  of  this  cit\' 
in  the  past  four  vears  wovild  require  a  gTeater  s]:)ace  than  is 
at  mv  command,  but  I  will  endeavor  to  call  attention  to  the 
more  important  ones  and  point  to  the  splendid  record  that  this 
department  has  made  for  itself  during  the  past  four  years  as  a 
justification  for  the  changes  and  improvements. 

When  the  Hon.  Charles  A.  Schieren  was  elected  Mayor  of 
the  city  of  Brooklyn  the  Fire  Department  of  the  city  was  in  a 
discreditable  state.  There  was  a  lack  of  proper  discipline,  and 
the  main  body  of  the  force  felt  that  their  chances  for  preferment 
did  not  rest  upon  their  merits.  The  appointment  of  the  Hon. 
F.  W.  Wurster  as  Fire  Commissioner  by  Mavor  Schieren  was 
the  forerimner  of  many  marked  improvements  in  the  depart- 
ment in  all  directions.  New  rules  were  formulated  and  issued 
to  the  department,  among  them  that  of  strictly  forbidding  fire- 
men in  uniform  to  enter  a  liquor  store,  which  rule  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  most  excellent  results.  No  privileges  or  leaves  of  ab- 
sence were  granted  whilst  charges  were  pending  against  fire- 
men ;  more  severity  was  exercised  in  infiicting  punishments  and 
yet  absolute  justice  was  alwavs  done. 

It  had  been  the  custom  prior  to  Commissioner  Wurster's 
administration  to  have  gongs  in  liquor  stores  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  fire  houses.  All  these,  together  with  those  in 
private  houses  and  ofiices  that  were  not  entitled  to  them,  were 
taken  out. 

Alany  improvements  have  been  made  for  the  comfort  of  the 
men,  and  many  extra  ])rivileges  granted,  which  have  tended  to 


86 


improve  the  morals  of  the  foree  and  eaiise  a  much  better  feeHng 
among  them.  The  privilege  to  ride  free  on  the  cars  whilst  in 
uniform,  was  secured,  and  an  additional  twelve  hours'  leave  of 
absence  each  week  was  granted. 

At  the  time  that  this  administration  came  into  power  there 
were  in  the  department  thirt^^-five  engine  companies,  twelve 
truck  companies  and  two  fire  boats.  Beginning  under  Com- 
missioner Wtn-ster,  and  extending  up  to  the  present  time,  there 
have  been  nineteen  new  engine  and  truck  houses  constructed, 
including  engines  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  47,  48, 
49,  51,  52,  53,  55  and  truck  18,  and  several  old  houses  taken 
over  from  the  volunteer  fire  departments  in  the  county  towns, 
and  also  some  in  the  city,  have  been  rebuilt  and  put  into  thor- 
ough order,  and  engine  companies  45,  46,  50,  54,  57,  chemical 
engine  No.  1  and  the  water  tower  now  occupy  these  premises. 

A  new  veterinary  stable,  on  the  lots  owned  by  the  city  ad- 
joining the  repair  shop  in  Canton  street,  has  been  erected,  cov- 
ering a  space  of  seventy-five  feet  front  by  one  hundred  feet  deep, 
which  is  fitted  up  with  every  convenience  and  requisite  for  the 
well  being  and  care  of  sick  horses  or-horses  that  are  sent  there 
to  be  trained  prior  to  being  put  into  actual  service. 

At  the  beginning  of  my  term  of  ofhce  I  made  a  thorough 
examination  of  every  house  in  the  department  and  I  discovered 
that  the  sanitar\^  condition  in  most  of  the  houses  in  the  old 
part  of  the  city  was  very  bad.  Tnsufiicient  attention  had  been 
paid  to  the  comfort  or  welfare  of  the  men,  who  are  obliged  to 
spend  twenty-one  hours  of  the  twenty-four  in  these  houses 
whilst  on  duty.  The  plumbing  in  every  house  has  been  over- 
hauled ;  hot  water  put  in  all  bathrooms;  new  bathtubs,  closets, 
wash  bowls,  etc.,  have  been  added,  until  now  the  older  houses 
compare  favorably  in  point  of  comfort  to  the  newer  ones. 

I  discovered,  after  taking  charge  of  the  department,  that 
there  were  a  great  many  engines  in  service  that  had  been  in  use 
for  a  number  of  years  and  were  in  such  a  bad  condition  that 
they  needed  a  thorough  overhauling.  This  has  been  done  by 
the  La  France  Engine  Company  of  Elmira,  and  there  is  not  now 


87 


in  the  whole  department  one  engine  but  what  is  in  first  elass 
eondition,  with  all  the  latest  modern  improvements  as  to 
boilers,  pumps,  etc.  All  the  aerial  trucks  in  use  in  the  dej^art- 
ment  have  been  fitted  out  with  ball  bearings  on  the  ladder 
hoisting  apparatus,  thus  enabling  two  men  to  do  the  work 
which  it  formerly  required  five  to  perform . 

In  addition  a  large  sum  of  money  has  been  spent  upon  the 
two  fire  boats  the  ''David  A.  Boody"  and  ''Seth  Low;"  the 
former  under  Commissioner  Wurster  Avas  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  fitted  with  new  boilers,  and  the  latter  also  under- 
went a  most  thorough  ovcrliauHng  during  the  past  A^ear,  and 
the}^  stand  to-dav  two  as  good  fire  boats  as  are  in  use  in  any 
other  department  in  the  world. 

In  addition  to  the  other  apparatus,  twelve  chemical  combi- 
nation trucks  were  put  in  service  in  the  county  towns,  and 
have  proved  to  be  verv  useful,  particularly  in  those  places  where 
a  lack  of  water  might  have  caused  a  severe  conflagration. 

Between  fort}^  and  fifty  thousand  feet  of  the  best  quality  of 
rubber  hose  has  been  added  to  the  equipment,  and  the  loss  at 
fires  through  bursting  of  hose  has  been  minimized. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  increase  in  the  equipment  and 
apparatus  of  the  department,  no  increase  has  been  made  in  the 
force  at  the  repair  shop,  and  its  work  has  been  well  and  eco- 
nomically done.  To  the  machinery  at  the  repair  sho]:)  has  been 
added  a  cold  tire-setting  machine,  which  has  j^roven  to  be  a 
source  of  economy  to  the  department,  owing  to  the  saving  of 
time  and  material,  as  compared  with  the  old  method  of  shrink- 
ing on  the  tires. 

All  of  the  old  and  useless  houses  and  pro])ertv  of  the  depart- 
ment have  been  sold  to  good  advantage  to  the  city.  The  old 
bell  tower  on  North  Second  street  has  been  discontinued,  and 
likew^ise  the  sub-telegraph  oflPice  on  Driggs  avenue,  it  having 
been  entirelv  refitted  and  made  the  location  for  No.  1  Chemica] 
Engine,  w^hich  on  several  occasions  has  demonstrated  its  use- 
fulness, having  been  able  to  extinguish  fires  l)eiore  the  regular 
steam  engine  companies  were  ready  to  stretch  in. 


88 


I  Icadcjiiarters  has  13CC11  painted  and  decorated  ;  an  elevator 
])nt  in,  and,  in  the  Telegraph  Department,  several  useful  im- 
provements have  been  added,  among  them  a  new  ])rotector 
switch  board  for  the  pm-pose  of  cutting  out  heavy  currents  of 
electricity,  which  had  previously  caused  one  or  two  serious 
1)urn-()uts  in  the  Telegraph  Department. 

Upwards  of  one  hundred  new  lire  boxes  have  been  placed  in 
desirable  locations  throughout  the  city  and  several  of  the 
Gordon-Burnham  system  of  cells  have  been  introduced  with 
great  economy  in  the  battery  rooms. 

A  large  nimiber  of  the  fire  boxes  on  the  streets,  which  are 
liable  to  be  burnt  out  by  high  currents  of  electricity  from  trollev 
and  electric  light  wires,  have  been  fitted  with  a  patent  cut  out 
to  insure  their  better  protection,  resulting  in  several  instances 
in  saving  the  boxes. 

Economy  has  been  practiced  in  the  purchase  of  supplies,  par- 
ticularly in  the  matter  of  feed  and  bedding  for  the  horses,  and 
all  contractors  doing  business  with  the  department  have  been 
held  strictly  to  the  letter  of  their  contract,  and  forced  to  deliver 
both  in  quantity  and  quality  the  goods  for  which  they  con- 
tracted. 

The  large  addition  to  the  territory  covered  by  the  depart- 
ment together  with  the  increase  in  the  population,  has  neces- 
sarily made  an  increase  in  the  number  of  fires,  as  shown  b}^  the 
reports  on  file  in  the  department,  but  the  promptness  with 
which  the  department  has  invariabW  responded  has  tended  to 
keep  the  percentage  of  loss  dowm  to  a  minimum. 

The  large  increase  in  the  department  necessitated  the  rear- 
ranging of  the  districts,  and  there  are  now  three  districts  in 
the  department,  under  the  charge  of  Assistant  Chiefs  Murray, 
Perry  and  Van  Cott. 

The  district  engineers  are  now  required  to  be  located  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  center  of  their  districts,  and  forced  to  remain 
on  duty  in  their  districts,  instead  of  hanging  around  head- 
cjuarters,  as  w^as  formerly  the  case. 

All  ]n-omotions  have  been  made  on  account  of  the  merit  and 


89 


fitness  of  the  men,  and  no  discrimination  has  been  made  in  this 
department  against  any  man. 

In  every  way  the  men  have  been  taught  to  feel  that  to  the 
extent  that  they  took  an  interest  in  their  work  and  were  faith- 
ful emplovees  of  the  city,  to  that  extent  would  they  be  recog- 
nized for  advancement. 

One  of  the  abuses  that  formerly  existed  in  the  de]:)artment 
was  the  collection  of  kerosene  licenses  bv  members  of  the  uni- 
formed force.  Everyman  in  the  department  was  bringing  press- 
ure to  bear  to  be  detailed  to  this  department.  The  placing  of 
this  department  under  the  charge  of  a  civilian,  with  five  men 
as  collectors  of  licenses,  the  city  being  divided  into  five  districts, 
has  been  productiveof  the  very  best  restdts.  Several  thousands 
of  dollars  per  anntnn  in  excess  of  what  had  been  heretofore  col- 
lected have  been  collected,  at  a  saving  in  salaries  to  the  city  of 
between  seven  and  eight  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 

All  officers  and  men  in  the  department  have  been  held 
strictly  to  account  for  the  proper  fulfillment  of  their  duties, 
until  to-day  the  discipline  in  the  force  is  first  class,  and  in  point 
of  efficiency,  both  as  to  men  and  apparatus,  the  department 
stands  second  to  none  in  the  world,  and  it  is  my  sincere  wish 
and  hope  that  the  department  may  maintain  in  the  future  the 
high  grade  of  excellence  to  which  it  has  attained. 

Very  respectfully. 


Commissioner  Dcp  t  of  Fire. 


12 


Department  of  Buildings 


Wqrk  done  by  Commissioner  Wesley  C.  Bush 


93 


Department  oe  Buildings,  CommiSvSioner's  Oeeice, 

Brooklyn,  I)eccml)er  22,  1807. 

Hon.  F.  W.  WuRvSTEr, 

Mayor. 

In  accordance  with  yonr  request  I  herewith  submit  a  brief 
statement  of  the  aftairs  of  my  department  for  the  past  two 
3'ears. 

The  Department  of  Buildings  during  the  last  twenty-three 
months  issued  permits  for  new  buildings  and  alterations,  as 
set  forth  in  the  following  general  statement: 

general  statement. 
Number  of  buildings  of  all  kinds  for  which  per- 


mits were  issued   6,595 

Estimated  costs  of  new  buildings   $27,920,600 

Number  of  buildings  actually  erected   5,666 

Estimated  cost  of  buildings  actually  erected   $23,048,978 

Number  of  alterations,  extensions,  etc.,  for  which 

permits  were  issued   4,844 

Estimated  cost  of  alterations   $3,091 ,5()1 

Number  of  buildings  altered   4,861 

Estimated  cost  of  completed  alterations   $3,498,971 


A  very  thorough  examination  has  been  made  of  asylinns, 
hospitals,  theaters  and  other  ]:)laces  of  public  assembly,  and 
particularly  of  all  factory  buildings,  to  which  examinations 
can  be  attributed  the  fact  that  during  this  period  no  buildings 
whatever  have  fallen  or  collapsed  throughout  the  city. 

After  the  introduction  of  the  new  building  law,  establishing 
safer  and  more  modern  building  methods,  the  necessitv  for 
larger  and  more  wisely  arranged  ofBces  for  the  department 
became  very  apparent.  On  m^^  request,  the  entire  third-story 
front  of  the  City  Hall  was  set  aside  by  the  aldermen  for  this 


94 


])iir|)()se,  and  in  March  last  the  clei)artineiU  was  moved  troni 
the  crowded  and  nnhealthfiil  quarters  in  the  basement  to 
the  new  rooms,  especially  ])lanned  and  arranged  for  the  de- 
partment, and  which  has  made  the  transaction  ot  business 
both  pleasant  and  expeditious. 

Respectfully, 


Commissioner  of  Buildings. 


Department  of  City  Works 


Record  of  the  work  done  under  Commissioner 
Theodore  B.  Willis 


97 


Commissioner's  Office,  Department  of  City  \V(jrks, 
MuNiciPAE  Building, 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  DcccMnl)cr  11,  1S97. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wvrster, 

Mavor  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn. 

Dear  Sir. — Replying  to  your  favor  of  the  21)tli  ultimo,  I 
herewith  present  a  careful  summary  of  the  work  accomplished 
bv  the  Department  of  City  Works  since  I  was  placed  in  chrirge 
of  it  by  you. 

The  paramount  importance  of  the  Avork  recpiired  to  ])rovide 
an  adequate  supply  of  water  for  our  city  at  all  times  is  readily 
recognized  by  most  of  our  citizens,  but  the  magnitude  of  the 
task  is  realized  b}^  very  few.  The  difficulties  of  accom])lishing 
it,  always  great,  have  been  considerably  enhanced  within  the 
last  two  years  by  the  stringency  of  the  financial  situation. 
Notwithstanding  this  and  other  difiiculties  the  shortage  of 
water  always  impending  has  been  successfulK^  avoided  and  the 
progress  made  within  the  last  two  years  to  provide  for  the 
complete  development  of  the  watershed,  so  as  to  secure  its 
maximum  yield  and  at  the  same  time  to  protect  the  quality, 
favorably  compares  with  that  of  an^^  similar  period.  The 
Ridgewood  Pumping  Station  has  been  remodeled ;  contract 
has  been  awarded  for  a  much  needed  steel  pipe  conduit  and 
steps  have  been  taken  as  far  as  the  making  of  a  contract  to 
do  away  with  the  pollution  of  the  water  supply  of  Hem])stcad, 
which  has  been  a  standing  menace  to  the  health  of  our  citizens 
for  years. 

The  pumping  stations  at  Gravesend  and  New  Utrecht  have 
been  remodeled  so  as  to  increase  their  efficiency  and  plans 
have  been  prepared  for  making  a  contract  for  additional 
pumping  engines  at  Mt.  Prospect  for  the  relief  of  the  Heights 
section  of  the  city. 

The  carrying  out  of  the  Edwards  contract,  made  by  the  pre- 
ceding Commissioner,  to  secure  an  additional  daily  supply  of 

13 


98 


2v), ()()(), ()()()  i^allons  has  l3een  settled  l)y  me  with  a  saving-  to  the 
taxpayers  of  a  ])resent  outlay  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars. 

I  have  given  mueh  consideration  to  the  cjuestion  of  the  deep 
underground  water  supply,  and  have  had  test  wells  and 
deep  well  ])lants  established,  which  are  now  in  successful  oper- 
ation. 

Comprehensive  as  is  the  above  work  relating  to  the  cpian- 
tity  of  the  sup])ly,  I  have  given  the  subject  of  maintaining  the 
quality  of  the  water  ecpial  consideration.  Allusion  has  alrcadv 
been  made  to  the  works  of  Hempstead,  which  will  free  our  S3\s- 
tem  from  its  mOvSt  serious  danger.  At  Springfield  no  less  grave 
perils  threaten  the  city  owing  to  the  rapid  development  of  the 
section  around  the  stream.  As  the  cost  of  ptu'chasing  all  the 
necessary  land  to  protect  the  water  from  pollution  was  pro- 
hibitive, plans  were  completed  under  my  direction,  and  are 
now  being  carried  to  execution,  by  which  the  contaminated 
surface  supply  will  be  ultimately  abandoned  and  replaced  by 
that  to  be  obtained  from  driven  wells.  The  work  of  superin- 
tendence and  cleaning  of  the  ponds  has,  it  may  be  said  without 
hesitation,  been  more  thoroughly  done  than  ever  before,  and 
the  present  condition  of  otu'  sources  of  supply  challenges  com- 
parison with  that  of  an}^  previous  time. 

I  have  also  solved  the  troubles  of  last  summer  due  to  the 
condition  of  the  water.  By  the  imceasing  labors  of  the  de- 
partment the  cause  of  the  unsatisfactory  condition  of  the 
water  was  clearU-  ascertained  and  a  well-advised  remedy  pro- 
posed and  adopted.  Plans  and  specifications  were  prepared  for 
the  construction  of  a  bv-passpipe  around  Ridgewood  Reservoir 
and  the  contract  awarded.  On  the  completion  of  this  work, 
one  of  the  most  effectual  means  to  avoid  a  return  to  last  year's 
trouble  will  be  available  and  at  the  same  time  the  safety  of  the 
supplv  will  l)e  guaranteed  against  the  contingency  of  accidents 
to  the  reservoirs. 

Furthermore,  the  knowledge  obtained  from  the  stud}^  of 
last  year's  difficulties  has  enabled  me  during  the  present  season 


99 


to  so  manipulate  the  various  sources  of  su])])ly  as  to  avoid  a 
repetition  of  the  difficulties  then  experienced.  This  has  been 
made  possible  through  the  work  done  at  the  laboratory  which 
I  established  at  the  Mt.  PrOvSpect  Reservoir  in  accordance  with 
the  very  best  and  most  modern  practice,  and  at  least  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  any  other  in  the  country  devoted  to  such 
purposes.  An  intelligent,  minute  and  systematic  studv  of  our 
water  is  dailv  carried  on  there,  open  to  the  inspection  of  the 
public,  which  enables  the  Department  to  antici])ate  and  ])revent 
as  far  as  the  means  reach,  any  trouble  with  the  quality  of  the 
water.  The  Department  of  Water  Supply  of  no  other  city  of 
the  country  has  to-day  a  better  equipment  for  this  work. 

During  the  two  years  of  my  incumbenc}'  of  this  office,  what 
was  found  at  the  start  has  been  carefully  maintained  and  im- 
proved, such  additional  works  as  were  needed  to  provide  for 
the  ever-increasing  consumption  and  to  protect  the  quality  of 
the  supph'  have  been,  although  amidst  unusual  diffictdties, 
successfully  undertaken  and  completed  ;  comprehensive  and  ex- 
haustive plans  for  the  ultimate  development  of  our  watershed, 
so  as  to  take  care  of  the  future  as  far  as  the  present  resources 
wnW  allow  have  been  presented  and  recommended  to  the  Com- 
mon Council  and  now  await  their  action,  and  while  thus  treat- 
ing this  question  with  the  breadth  and  foresight  due  to  its 
importance  and  the  vast  interests  dependent  on  its  successful 
solution,  the  expenditures  have  been  so  managed  as  to  allow 
me  to  transfer  last  year  to  the  Sinking  Fund  the  unprecedented 
sum  of  $440,657.01,  and  still  leave  a  balance  on  hand  to  the 
credit  of  Water  Revenue  and  Water  Maintenance  on  January  1, 
1897,  of  $594,703.11. 

Second  only  in  importance  to  the  needs  of  the  city  for  a 
pure  and  adequate  water  supply  is  the  question  of  good 
streets.  An  adequate  idea  of  the  extent  and  importance  of 
the  street  improvements  which  have  been  carried  out  bv  me 
during  the  last  two  years  can  best  be  conveyed  bv  a  few 
stativStics. 


TOO 


On  Janiiarv  1,  1896,  there  were  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn  the 
following-  lengths  of  pavements  of  different  kinds  : 

Asphalt    25.3  miles. 

Granite  107.1 

Belgian   41.5 

Cobblestone  269.7  " 

At  the  close  of  the  present  year  the  lengths  of  different  ])ave- 
ments  will  be  approximately  as  follows  : 

Asphalt    55.1  miles. 

Granite  111.4 

Belgian   45.0 

Cobblestone  244.0 

It  will  be  seen  that,  while  our  asphalt  mileage  has  increased 
by  29.8  miles,  or  considerabW  more  than  double,  25.7  miles  of 
cobblestone  pavement  have  been  stricken  off  the  map,  and  for 
the  first  time,  in  the  history  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  less  than 
one-half  of  our  paved  streets  are  of  this  antiquated  type. 

More  notable  even  than  the  increase  in  the  extent  of  our 
good  pavements  has  been  the  unprecedented low^  prices  at 
w^hich  this  work  has  been  done.  The  average  cost  of  la^nng 
the  different  kinds  of  pavement  in  Brooklyn  during  the  past 
three  years  has  been  as  follows : 

In  1895. 

Asphalt  $1.96 

Brick   2.32 

Granite   2.18 

In  1896. 

Asphalt  $1.77 

Brick   2.20 

Granite   1.64 

wdiile  in  1897,  the  average  ])rices  have  been. 

Asphalt  $1.63 

Brick   2.16 

Granite   1.55 


lOI 


The  average  bids  received  for  wearing  surface  for  asphalt 
pavement,  excluvsive  of  concrete  foundation  since  1893,  have 
been  as  follows : 

1893  $2.00 

1894   2.11 

1895   1.29 

1896   1.10 

1897  99 

The  bids  for  1897  range  from  eighty  cents,  the  lowest,  to 
$1.35  per  square  yard  on  a  railroad  street. 

These  prices  are  for  asphalt  or  brick  pavement  laid  on  six 
inches  of  concrete  under  a  five  years'  guarantee  and  for  granite 
block  laid  on  sand,  both  including  the  removal  of  the  old 
pavement  and  the  necessar\^  re-grading  and  regulating  of  the 
surface. 

The  lowCvSt  prices  obtained  were  $1.57  per  square  yard  for 
an  asphalt  pavement,  and  $1.45  per  square  3^ard  for  granite. 

The  cause  of  these  extremely  low  prices,  by  which  our  tax- 
payers have  benefited,  is  unquestionably  my  policy-  in  inviting 
the  freest  kind  of  competition  on  the  part  of  the  different  con- 
tractors. 

It  is  frequently  stated  that  a  cit}^  as  w^ell  as  an  individual, 
is  likely  to  get  what  it  pays  for.  If  it  pays  a  very  low^  price  it 
is  apt  to  get  an  exceedingly  cheap  article.  This  has  not  been 
the  cavse  with  our  Brooklyn  pavements,  for  Avhile  the  prices 
have  decreavsed  the  standard  of  the  work  done  has  constantlv 
improved,  and  it  can  be  confidently  stated  that  the  paving  re- 
cently done  in  this  city,  owing  to  careful  and  competent  in- 
spection, can  challenge  comparison  with  that  done  in  anv  other 
city.  In  fact,  expert  engineers  who  have  examined  our  streets 
have  uniformly  pronounced  them  to  be  as  fine  as  anv  others 
they  have  ever  seen. 

A  most  conspicuous  feature  of  the  work  accomplished  dur- 
ing the  last  two  years  is  the  fact  that  almost  everv  piece  of 
pavement  laid  has  resulted  in  connecting  isolated  blocks,  or  in 


102 


extending  continuous  stretches  still  further  so  as  to  be  of  far 
greater  use  to  the  public ;  while  a  number  of  extensive  im- 
provements have  been  finished.  Conspicuous  among  these 
have  been  the  Leonard  street  improvement,  and  now  a 
continuation  of  this  thorovighfare  by  way  of  Throop,  Lewis 
and  Albany  aA^enues  to  the  Eastern  Parkway,  giving  by 
far  the  longest  continuous  line  of  smooth  pavement  in  the 
citv,  and  furnishing  much  needed  relief  to  Bedford  avenue. 
This  relief  is  being  made  more  complete  by  the  paving  of 
Grand  and  Washington  avenues,  connecting  the  Clinton 
avenue  section  directly  with.  Prospect  Park. 

Bedford  avenue,  formerly  our  only  north  and  south  thor- 
oughfare, has  also  been  extended  to  penetrate  the  most  north- 
erly part  of  the  city  by  w^ay  of  Division  avenue  and  Berr}- 
street,  w^hile  asphalt  has  also  been  extended  to  the  south  as 
far  as  Butler  vstreet. 

Hanson  place  has  been  rebuilt  in  the  most  substantial  man- 
ner, so  that  in  connection  wnth  the  pavement  laid  on  Greene 
avenue  and  State  street,  w^e  have  a  new  and  attractive  thor- 
oughfare from  the  Heights  to  Bedford  avenue,  without  driving 
over  the  granite  pavement  on  Lafayette  avenue. 

But  a  summarv  of  the  advantages  given  to  the  uses  ol  good 
roads  would  not  be  complete  w^ithout  reference  to  the  exten- 
sive construction  of  macadamized  roads  in  the  new^  wards,  so 
that  now  there  is  scarceU^  a  suburban  district  in  Kings  County 
which  cannot  readily  be  reached  with,  comfort. 

The  dirt  roads  have  also  received  more  attention  than  ever 
before,  and  a  generous  portion  of  the  funds  available  have 
been  expended  in  their  repair  and  maintenance,  so  that  people 
who  live  on  unimproved  streets  and  pay  taxes  have  been  given 
a  return  for  their  money,  which  they  have  never  had  before. 

The  establishment  and  development  of  the  wholesale  mar- 
ket at  the  Wallabout  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important 
projects  undertaken  by  the  city.  Though  in  its  quiet  and 
steady  growth  it  has  attracted  little  attention  and  interest 
from  the  people  at  large,  a  little  thought  on  how  it  has 


I03 

affected  most  aclvantageoUvsK-  every  inhabitant  of  the  eity  in 
securing  to  him  the  things  he  eats  at  the  lowest  prices,  and  a 
brief  consideration  of  the  magnitude  of  this  municipal  enter- 
prise must  convince  one  that  it  is  indeed  worthy  of  serious  re- 
gard. 

It  has  brought  about  a  vast  concentration  of  a  scattered 
business  which  makes  it  possible  for  every  buyer  to  see  and 
choose  from  the  greatest  variety,  which  enables  every  seller  to 
display  his  goods  to  all  buyers ;  a  condition  which  must  result 
not  onlv  in  benefits  to  the  producer,  the  wholesaler  and  the 
retailer,  but  ver}-  largely  to  every  consumer.  While  the  city's 
investment  at  the  Wallabout  is  no  burden  on  the  taxpayer, 
but  on  the  contrary,  by  a  prudent,  careful  and  thorough 
administration,  has  been  made  to  pay  a  large  revenue  to  the 
city  over  and  above  its  annual  cost,  I  have  been  convinced 
that  every  dollar  spent  there  b^^  the  city  w^hich  w^ould  attract 
new  and  diversified  market  business,  which  would  facilitate  the 
methods  and  cheapen  the  cost  of  doing  this  business,  will  at 
once  be  returned  mtdtiplied  many  times  in  greater  and  more 
extended  benefit  to  the  whole  population  of  the  city. 

Acting  on  this  opinion,  I  have  given  much  attention  and 
study  to  this  important  bureau  of  the  department  and  have 
turned  a  liberal  mind  to  the  speedy  development  of  the  whole 
market  property  on  lines  which  would  enhance  its  growth  and 
assure  the  people  of  Brooklyn  of  those  still  greater  benefits 
which  must  come  from  the  market  which  will  soon  occupy  a 
ruling  place  among  the  markets  of  Greater  New  York. 

While  the  improvement  of  the  market  land  on  the  west  side 
of  Washington  avenue  was  begun  by  the  preceding  Commis- 
sioner, the  work  there  has  been  mainly  advanced  during  the 
present  administration,  not  only  in  actual  construction  but  in 
the  careful  formulation  of  plans  for  the  development  of  all 
this  ])ortion  of  the  market.  Legislation  has  been  effected 
through  my  instrumentality  which  enabled  me  to  consolidate 
all  the  city's  lands  at  the  Wallabout  under  one  plan  of  improve- 
ment, thus  securing  the  most  efficient  disposition  of  the  entire 


I04 

property  for  water  facilities,  which  makes  it  i)ossible  for  thecitv 
to  lease  large  and  commodious  piers  to  railroad  companies  at 
exceedingly  profitable  rentals,  which  insures  the  niarkctnicn 
the  valuable  advantage  of  a  railroad  delivery  in  the  market 
itself  and  the  entire  surrounding  districts  of  convenient  trans- 
portation facilities. 

Out  of  the  limited  bond  issues  which  the  city  has  been  able 
to  make  during  m^-  administration,  I  have  secured  a  large  por- 
tion for  the  further  improvement  of  these  lands.  I  have  thus 
been  enabled  to  make  contracts  which  insure  the  execution  of 
this  improvement  and  which  remove  an^^  doubt  or  fear  as  to 
the  future  effect  of  Manhattan's  influence  in  the  treatment  of 
the  water  facilities  of  Brooklyn's  market  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Greater  New^  York. 

I  have  also  given  much  attention  to  the  w^aters  adjacent  to 
the  Wallabovit  Basin.  I  prevented  the  serious  damage  threatened 
to  the  city's  property  in  the  proposed  construction  of  a  solid 
cause w a}'  across  the  Wallabout  Channel  b}^  the  United  States 
Government,  a  work  w^hich,  if  carried  out,  would  have  stopped 
the  tidal  currents  flowing  through  the  channel  and  stagnated 
the  waters  in  the  city's  basin.  The  Arm  stand  taken  against 
the  structure  originally  intended  led  the  Navy  Department  to 
revise  its  plans  and  provide,  at  an  additional  cost  of  $30,000, 
openings  through  the  causeway. 

I  have  also  secured,  through  Congressman  Howe,  the  favor- 
able consideration  by  the  United  States  Government  of  a  proj- 
ect to  improve  the  channel  leading  from  the  East  River  to  the 
city's  w^harves.  This  improvement  touches  the  welfare  of  the 
city's  new  water  front  at  the  Wallabout  most  vitally. 

The  construction  work  accomplished  at  the  Wallabout  dur- 
ing the  last  two  ^^ears  is  of  large  magnitude,  and  may  be  classed 
among  the  most  notable  features  of  the  city.  About  fifteen 
acres  of  ground  have  been  dredged  out  and  converted  into  a 
large  shipping  basin  capable  of  floating  vessels  of  twenty  feet 
draught.  This  has  involved  the  excavation  of  some  650,000 
cubic  yards  of  earth  and  mud,  at  a  cost  of  about  $110,000. 


I05 

Aloii":  the  west  and  south  sides  of  this  basin  a  handsome  and 
durable  bulkhead  wall  has  been  eonstrueted.  Along  the  west 
side  of  the  basin  it  presents  an  unbroken  line  for  the  wharfage 
of  general  shipping  1,200  feet  long,  with  a  solid  roadway  be- 
hind it  70  feet  wide.  It  has  been  executed  at  an  unusualK'  low 
price  for  such  work,  $90  ])er  lineal  foot.  New  York  City  is  pay- 
ing from  $300  to  $400  per  foot  for  its  bulkhead  walls.  The 
total  length  of  the  work  is  about  1,680  feet,  and  it  has  cost  the 
city  $151,000. 

The  excavation  of  the  entire  basin  will  be  com])leted  before 
the  end  of  the  present  administration,  and  will  recpiire  the  re- 
moval of  about  115,000  cubic  yards  of  material  in  addition  to 
the  amount  before  stated.  The  contract  is  made  on  a  basis  of 
151/2  cents  per  cubic  yard,  which  is  50  per  cent,  cheaper  than 
an}'  other  work  in  the  vicinity.  Contracts  have  also  been 
made  for  the  ])aving  of  the  roadway  behind  the  bulkhead  and 
a])proaches  to  the  same.  This  work  involves  about  1 7,000 
square  yards  of  granite  pavement,  and  wall  cost,  including 
curbing,  etc.,  $42,000.  The  prices  are  the  lowest  ever  received 
for  this  class  of  work  by  this  department. 

I  have  also  given  particular  attention  in  regard  to  the  devel- 
opment of  the  easterly  side  of  the  Wallabout  Basin.  The  plan 
which  has  been  formulated  gives  the  maximum  attainable  piers 
and  bulkhead  facilities.  It  provides  for  about  1,070  lineal  feet 
of  bulkhead  wall  and  six  piers,  which  together  with  the  other 
bulkheads  of  the  basin  gives  a  total  frontage  of  more  than  a 
mile  and  a  half.  The  work  which  has  been  done  at  the  market 
during  the  past  two  years  sends  it  forward  a  long  stride 
toward  its  tdtimate  superior  place  among  the  markets  of 
Greater  New  York  and  it  may  be  most  truthfully  said  that 
everything  has  been  done  well  and  at  an  exce])tionally  low  cost 
to  the  city  and  with  an  eve  to  the  welfare  of  the  citv  alone. 

The  cost  of  maintaining  the  market  during  the  year  1893 

w^as  $10,582.65.  The  cost  of  maintainingthe  market  during  the 

year  1896  w^as  $10,819.65.    The  cost  of  maintenance  for  the 

nine  months  ending  September  30,  1897,  was  $6,586.79.  For 
14 


1  o6 

the  year  ciuliii*^-  December  ol,  1S0(),  with  aliout  doul)le  the 
s(jiiare  yards  of  pa  veinent  to  elean  and  other  worlv  ])ro])()rti()n- 
ately  increavSed,  the  eost  of  niainteiiaiiee  exceeds  that  of  1  Sl)^) 
by  only  $237,  while  the  net  revenue  shows  an  increase  over  the 
same  year  of  v$2r),l(K').2r). 

There  is  nothing-  in  which  the  |)id)lic  shonhl  take  so  deep  an 
interest  as  the  cleaning"  of  the  streets  and  the  pro])er  removal 
and  disposal  of  garbage.  The  health  of  the  citizen  is  in  a  verv 
large  measnre  dej^endent  upon  the  efhciencv  of  this  work  and 
ciny  department  which  has  control  of  the  matter  and  does  not 
give  it  proper  consideration  and  treatment  is  worthy  of  pub- 
lic condemnation.  Brooklyn,  unfortunately,  has  not  the  vast 
means  at  its  disposal  that  has  the  city  of  New  York.  In  New 
York  the  work  is  done  bv  the  citv,  while  in  Ih'ooklvn,  because 
of  the  lack  of  sufheient  funds,  it  is  done  by  contract. 

When  I  took  charge  of  the  Department  of  Cit\^  Works  the 
contract  for  cleaning  the  streets  and  removing  ashes,  which 
was  then  in  existence,  called  for  a  payment  on  the  ])art  of  the 
city  of  $28  ])er  mile  for  street  cleaning.  A  new  contract  was  im- 
mediateK'  made  at  the  extremelv  low  ])rice  of  $17  a  mile.  This 
was  brought  about  by  open  competition.  The  result  can  best 
be  seen  b}^  these  figures  :  In  1(S98  14,874  miles  of  streets  were 
cleaned.  In  1895  this  was  increased  to  10,295  and  in  1890  to 
2a,()()5  miles. 

I  also  took  u])  the  important  question  of  the  collection  and 
disposal  of  garbage  upon  entering  office.  The  garbage  eon- 
tract,  which  was  made  in  the  old  days  and  which  expired  on 
Dec.  31,  1896,  cost  the  city  $602,000  for  five  years.  Although 
the  territory  was  nearly  doubled  by  the  annexation  of  county 
towns,  the  city  secured  through  my  efforts  a  contract  for  five 
years  for  a  total  of  $605,000.  Under  the  old  contract,  garbage 
was  removed  only  twice  a  week  in  winter  and  three  times  a 
w^eek  in  stimmer,  while  the  present  contractors  are  re(juired  to 
take  it  away  three  times  a  week  in  winter  and  four  times  a 
week  in  summer.  Under  the  present  contract,  the  garbage  is  to 
be  removed  in  wagons  with  steel  or  iron  boxes  which  are  to  be 


107 


water-tight.  Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  unsightly,  bad- 
smelling  drip])ing  wagons  used  under  the  old  eontraet,  and 
whieh,  owing  to  the  short  time  of  the  ])resent  eontraet,  have 
not  entirely  disa])|)e^ired,  but  will  within  a  short  time.  Under 
the  old  eontraet,  the  garbage  was  dumped  at  sea.  Now  it  is 
burned  under  the  mOvSt  improved  sanitary  methods.  It  eost 
Brooklyn  for  the  removal  of  garbage  for  1897  v$l  13, ()()().  The 
eost  in  New  York  City  is  about  v$3r)0,()()0,  and  in  Philadelphia 
$2r)0,()()()  a  year. 

Beginning  with  the  year  1890,  when  I  took  eontrol,  there 
was  on  hand  thirteen  uneompleted  sewer  eonstruction  con- 
traets,  ineluding  the  important  ones  of  sewerage  ])urifieation 
maehinery  in  the  works  of  the  Twenty-sixth  and  adjaeent 
wards,  Seetion  2  of  the  Main  Relief  Sewer  Pvxtension  of  Greene 
avenue  and  other  streets,  smaller  relief  sewers  in  other  parts  of 
the  city  and  several  subdivisions  covering  portions  of  the 
Twenty-sixth  Ward,  lateral  sewers,  embracing  several  miles  of 
sewers  with  their  appurtenances.  All  of  these  contracts  have 
been  successfully  completed.  The  relief  vsewers,  built  in  189()  in 
DeKalb  and  Ninth  avenues,  have  ended  complaints  that  had 
existed  for  years.  In  the  year  1896  a  contract  was  made  for 
the  pumps  and  boilers  at  the  Twenty-sixth  Ward  Sewage 
Works,  which  w^as  brought  to  completion  in  the  ]H'esent  vear. 
The  extension  of  lateral  sewers  in  East  New  York  has  main- 
tained the  development  of  that  growing  section.  In  other 
parts  of  the  city  lateral  sewers  were  built  to  meet  demands, 
notabh^  in  the  Tw^enty-ninth  Ward,  in  the  Parkville  region,  and 
in  the  Wallabout  Alarket.  Altogether  thirty-eight  new  sewer 
contracts  were  made  in  189(). 

Among  the  contracts  made  in  1897  there  are  included  those 
for  surface  drainage  in  the  vicinity  of  Caton  avenue  and  St. 
Pauls  place ;  Avenue  A,  Avenue  B,  Ocean  avenue  and  Church 
avenue;  also,  a  subdivision  of  considerable  size  for  lateral 
sewers  in  the  vicinity  of  Avenues  B,  C  and  D,  between  Conev 
Island  avenue  and  Ocean  Parkway,  and  also  smaller  sub- 
divisions in  the  Twentv-ninth  W  ard. 


io8 

Contracts  have  been  recently  made  for  new  sewers  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  city.  Bids  have  been  opened  for  new  sub- 
divisions in  the  Twenty-fourth  and  Twentv-sixth  Wards  and 
for  main  rehef  sew ers  adjacent  to  Gowanus  Canal.  The  work 
has  been  ])ushed  as  rapidly  as  ]:)ossible,  and  the  contract  h^iiircs 
compare  very  favorably  with  those  of  preceding  administra- 
tions. 

In  the  matter  of  large  contracts  for  ]niblic  improvements 
the  city  has  been  exceedingly  fortunate.  In  the  Bureau  of  Con- 
struction and  Repairs  contracts  have  been  let,  and  work  car- 
ried out  during  the  ])ast  two  years  amounting  to  slightly  over 
$750, ()()().  All  of  this  work  has  been  pushed  with  the  utmost 
diligence,  and  the  city's  interests  have  been  well  guarded. 

Particularly  is  this  true  of  the  contract  for  remodeling  the 
citv  hall.  The  work  has  been  carried  on  as  rapidly  as  it  could 
be  in  a  building  all  the  time  occupied,  and  not  a  penny  outside 
of  the  original  appropriation  has  been  expended  upon  it. 

Trusting  that  this  will  prove  satisfactory,  I  remain, 

Yours  respectfully, 

Commissioner  of  Citv  Worlds. 


Department  of  Parks 


Record  of  the  work  of  the  past  two  years 
BY  Commissioner  J.  G.  Dettmer 


Ill 


Office  of  the  Department  of  Parks, 
Prospect  Park. 

P)R()OKEVX,  December  (>,  181)7. 

Hon.  r^REDERiCK  W.  Werster, 

Mayor  of  the  CItv  of  Brooklyn. 

Dear  Sir. — I  am  in  recei])t  of  voiir  communication,  request- 
ing me  to  make  a  short  statement  of  the  work  performed  hy 
the  Department  of  Parks  during  the  two  years  you  have  pre- 
sided over  the  affairs  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  <'is  its  Chief 
Magistrate,  and  in  response  thereto  I  have  the  honor  to  re- 
port as  follows : 

The  work  of  the  Park  Department  during  the  past  two 
years  has  been  largely  constructive.  During  that  time  there 
have  been  over  thirty  miles  of  parkways  improved  by  the  use 
of  macadam,  brick  or  asphalt.  Fifteen  miles  of  new  parkways 
have  been  created  by  Legislative  action  or  jnu'chase,  and  six 
miles  of  roadway  have  been  built  exclusively  for  the  use  of 
bicyclists.  The  area  of  new  park  lands  improved  and  made 
available  for  public  use  has  been  doubled,  and  many  permanent 
improvements  made  in  the  old  parks. 

To  particularize :  The  Eastern  Parkway  was  extended  two 
and  one-half  miles  to  Ridgewood  Park,  thus  giving  an  outlet 
to  the  road  and  terminus  that  provides  an  unsurpassed  view 
of  land  and  sea.  The  extension  is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet 
wide,  is  paved  with  macadam,  asphalt  and  brick  (  as  the  sur- 
face made  most  desirable),  has  been  lined  with  trees  and 
partialh^  flagged.  One  special  feature  of  the  extension  is  a 
viaduct  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  feet  long,  which  cost 
$46,750.00. 

Bushwick  avenue  was  paved  with  brick  from  Vanderveer 
street  to  Jamaica  avenue ;  and  Pennsvlvania  avenue,  from  its 
junction  with  Bushwick  avenue  and  Jamaica  avenue  to  Bay 
avenue,  was  siniilarl3^  treated. 


I  I  2 


ritkiii  .'ivcniR',  iVoiii  I^^ast  New  X'ork  axciiiR'  to  Sloiic  ave- 
nue, Stone  avenue,  from  Pitkin  to  (rlenniore  avenue,  (ilen- 
more,  from  Stone  to  Alabama  avenue,  and  from  Ashford  street 
to  Eldert  lane  were  all  maeadamized.  (ilenmore  avenue,  from 
Alabama  avenue  to  Ashford  street,  was  asphalted.  This  eom- 
bination  of  thoroughfares,  ])ut  in  eharge  of  the  department  by 
Legislative  action,  makes  up  a  parkway  that  enables  people 
from  all  sections  of  the  city  to  easily  reach  the  good  roads  of 
Queens  Coimty. 

The  main  drive  of  the  Ocean  Parkway  was  reconstructed 
to  Bay  Parkway  (Twenty-second  avenue),  and  provided  with 
a  Kosmocrete  gutter  and  curb.  A  Kosmocrete  sidewalk  was 
laid  on  the  west  side  of  the  Parkwa}',  from  Prospect  Park  to 
Conev  Psland,  and  on  the  east  side  a  bluestone  walk  was  put 
down  as  far  as  Kings  Highway. 

The  bridge  over  Coney  Island  Creek  was  doubled  in  width, 
for  the  convenience  of  bicycle  riders  and  pedestrians.  The  west 
drive  of  the  Ocean  Parkway  was  macadamized  its  entire  length 
from  Prospect  Park  to  Coney  Island,  for  the  use  of  business 
vehicles. 

Fort  Hamilton  avenue  was  macadamized  from  Prospect 
Park  to  Seventh  avenue. 

Bav  Parkway  was  macadamized  from  Ocean  Parkway  to 
Bensonhurst  Beach. 

Drives  were  built  through  Dyker  Beach  and  Bensonhurst 
Parks,  to  connect  P^ort  Hamilton  avenue  and  Bay  Parkway, 
thus  providing  a  beautiful  circular  drive  which  also  connects 
with  the  Shore  Drive. 

Three  roads  connecting  Pvastern  Parkway  with  Jamaica 
avenue  were  paved.  Miller  avenue  and  the  Vermont  street  re- 
turn road  with  granite  for  heavy  traffic,  and  the  main  drive  in 
Ridgewood  Park  with  macadam  for  pleasure  vehicles. 

Shaw  avenue  was  macadamized  to  make  a  connection  with 
Forest  Park  bv  way  of  the  Glenmore  avenue  route,  and  the 
main  drive  in  Forest  Park  was  macadamized,  thus  providing  a 
beautiful  drive  connecting  with  the  roads  to  Flushing,  Willets 


113 

Point  and  all  the  dcli^^^Htfnl  villat^cs  on  the  north  shore  of  Lon<2^ 
Island. 

The  road  work  eonstriieted  by  the  Park  Department  during- 
the  past  two  years  enai)les  riders,  drivers  and  bieyelists  to 
easily  and  comfortably  reach  all  the  good  roads  on  Long 
Island,  either  on  the  north  or  the  south  side,  thereby  increasing 
the  pleasure  of  vshort  or  long  summer  tri])s  in  the  carriage  or  on 
the  wheel.  The  drive  in  Forest  Park  necessitated  the  building 
of  three  steel  bridges  and  a  stone  viaduct,  all  of  which  were 
constructed  for  less  than  $20, ()()(). 

All  of  the  parks  purchavSed  by  the  county  of  Kings  have 
been  enclosed  with  iron  fences,  excepting  three,  and  have  been 
sufficiently  developed  to  permit  of  their  use  by  the  people ;  and 
all  of  them,  whether  inland  or  by  the  sea,  have  given  comfort 
and  pleasure  to  thousands  of  people. 

In  addition  to  the  new^  w^ork  above  enumerated,  all  of  the 
older  parks  have  been  carefully  looked  after.  The  main  en- 
trance to  Prospect  Park  has  been  completed  ;  the  beautifying 
of  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors'  Memorial  Arch  has  been  looked 
after;  the  Plaza  has  been  reconstructed;  the  Rose  Garden,  with 
its  lily  basins,  has  been  finished  ;  bicycle  shelters  and  park  shelters 
have  been  built ;  more  concerts  have  been  given  in  the  smaller 
parks,  where  the  working  people  could  enjoy  them  ;  sand  boxes 
for  children  have  been  introduced  ;  an  open-air  kindergarten  was 
conducted  at  City  Park;  the  west  wing  of  the  Museum  of  Arts 
and  Sciences  convStructed  ;  the  statuary  of  the  parks  added  to 
through  the  co-operation  of  the  German  Singers  and  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic ;  and,  as  one  of  the  chief  features  of  the 
two  years'  work,  an  electric  fountain  was  added  to  the  attrac- 
tions on  the  Prospect  Park  Plaza,  and  enjoyed  by  vast  crowds 
of  people  during  the  summer  and  fall. 

Yours  verv  trulv. 


Com  ni  is  s  ioncr. 

15 


Civil  Service  Commission 


What  has  been  accomplished  by  the 
Commissioners 


117 


Office  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission, 
City  Haee, 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December  24,  1897. 

Hon.  Frederick  W.  Wurster, 

Major  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn. 

Dear  Sir. — The  eompetitors  in  fifty-five  examinations  held 
bv  this  eommission  from  February  1  to  Decemljer  If),  1897, 
numbered  2,350.  Durino-  the  period  covered  by  the  Thirteenth 
Annual  Report  (February  1,  1896,  to  February  1,  1897, )  fifty- 
one  examinations  were  held,  in  which  there  were  5,324  eom- 
petitors. 

The  falling  ofi  of  the  ntmd^er  of  eom])etitors  during  the  ])ast 
ten  and  a  half  months  is  due  to  the  fact  that  no  examinations 
of  uniformed  firemen  and  patrolmen  have  been  held,  as  there 
are  a  sufficient  number  of  names  on  those  eligible  lists.  The 
eompetitors  who  entered  both  of  these  examinations  in  189() 
numbered  2,871,  leaving  2,453  competitors  to  be  divided 
among  forty-nine  examinations,  making  fiftv  the  average  num- 
ber in  each  of  the  smaller  examinations.  It  will  be  observed 
from  the  figures  given  above  that  the  average  number  of  com- 
petitors in  each  of  the  55  examinations  held  this  year,  includ- 
ing the  fitness  examinations  for  uniformed  firemen  and  patrol- 
men, in  which  there  were  465  competitors,  is  fifty-one.  Then, 
if  it  be  considered  that  under  the  new  civil  service  law,  Chap- 
428  of  the  Laws  of  1897,  as  it  applies  in  this  citv,  the  commis- 
sion has  been  required  to  hold  two  examinatioiLs  in  cases 
where  it  formerly  held  one,  it  will  be  apparent  that  the  com- 
mission has  really  examined  a  larger  number  than  that  stated 
above,  or,  to  give  the  exact  figures,  we  have  examined  what 
would  have  been  the  equivalent  under  the  old  law  to  examin- 
ing 3,2()()  persons. 

Acting  under  the  cumbersome  machiner}^  supplied  by  the  new 
law,  the  commission  has  been  forced  in  every  case  to  consume 


ii8 


twice  as  mnch  time  as  heretofore  in  the  preparation  of. a  com- 
plete elitril)le  list,  (icneral  dissatisfaction  amoni^-  the  c()ni])cti- 
tors,  and  a  large  amount  of  additional  work  for  the  commission, 
have  been  two  direct  results  of  the  enactment  of  this  law,  which 
was  unanimously  opposed  by  this  commission  through  our 
representative  who  ap])eared  before  the  governor  at  the  only 
])ublic  hearing  granted. 

The  commission  desires  to  express  to  vour  Honor  its  grate- 
ful appreciation  of  the  action  taken  bv  you,  the  cor])oration 
counsel  and  vour  commissioners  at  the  head  ol  the  several 
citv  de])artmcnts  for  the  ])rom])t  and  heartv  indorsement  ol 
our  work,  as  ex|)ressed  in  the  following  communication  which 
was  received  shortlv  after  the  law^  took  effect : 


Ofkice  of  Corporation  Counsel, 
City  Hai.l, 

Brooklyn,  May  25,  1S97, 

To  t/w  Civil  Service  Coffunission  : 

Gentlkmkn. —At  a  meeting  held  yesterday  of  the  Mayor  and  the  heads  of 
the  various  departments  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  who  were  appointed  by  him,  a 
resolution  was  adopted  tluit  the  enclosed  communication  be  sent  to  your  com- 
mission. 

I  remain,  yours  respectfully, 

JOS.  A.  BURR, 

Corporation  Counsel. 


119 


The  enclosure  referred  to  in  the  corporation  counsel's  letter 
was  the  following: 

Brooklyn,  May  24,  1897. 

We,  the  undersigned,  do  hereby  designate  the  Board  known  as  the  Civil 
Service  Commission  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn  to  conduct  all  examinations  to  de- 
termine the  fitness  of  applicants  for  appointment  or  promotion  in  the  several 
departments  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  under  our  control,  except  as  hereinafter 
stated.  The  Commissioner  of  Police  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  and  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Fire  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  reserve  the  right  to  conduct  the  examina- 
tion for  fitness  for  promotion  only,  in  their  respective  departments,  instead  of 
conducting  the  entire  examination  for  promotion,  as  has  heretofore  been  done 
under  the  present  Civil  Service  rules  and  regulations. 

Z.  TAYLOR  EMERY,  M.D  ,  Commissiojier  of  Health. 
j.  G.  DETTMER,  Co^nmissioner  of  Parks. 
R.  ROSS  APPLETON,  Collector  of  Taxes  and  Assessments. 
HENRY  A.  POWELL,  Registrar  of  Arrears. 
WESLEY  C.  BL^SH,  Covunissioner  of  Buildings. 
THEO.  B.  WILLIS,  Couwiissioner  of  City  Works. 
B.  G.  NEFF,  President,  Department  of  Assessment. 
WM.  C.  BRYANT,  Commissioner,  iK  fartinent  of  Fire. 
LEONARD  R.  WELLES,  Commis  sioner  of  Police. 
JOSEPH  A.  BURR.  Corporation  Counsel. 
F.  W.  WURSTER,  Mayor. 

In  December,  1888,  the  hrst  civil  service  commission  ap- 
pointed in  this  city  held  its  first  meeting  at  the  residence  of 
Mayor  Seth  Low,  201  Columbia  Heights.  The  first  civil  serv- 
ice examination  held  in  Brooklyn  took  place  at  the  City  Hall 
in  the  common  council  chamber  on  the  evening  of  December 
28,  1883,  and  lasted  from  8  P.M.  to  12.15  A.M.  At  that  hour 
the  twenty-seven  applicants  for  clerical  positions  were  dis- 
missed with  directions  to  appear  again  at  7.30  P.M.  on  the 
following  evening.  Since  those  da^'s,  the  merit  system  has  had 
a  wonderful  growth  in  this  city.  When  it  is  considered  that 
onK"  fourteen  years  ago  all  the  clerical  examinations  attracted 
but  twenty-seven  com]:)etitors,  and  that  at  two  examinations 
held  recenth^  by  this  commission  on  the  same  evening,  there 
were  present  425  competitors,  some  idea  of  the  increased  work 
of  the  commission  maybe  gained.    Much  more  remains  to  be 


1 20 


(lone,  ])nt  in  no  other  cilv  in  the  I'niled  Stales  has  Hrooklvn's 
reeord  in  eivil  serviee  reiorni  l)een  ecjuallech 

We  thank  vour  Honor  for  your  earnest  co-o])eration,  whieh 
has  been  a  valuable  aid  and  encouragement  to  us  in  carrying- 
on  oin*  work.  The  service,  we  are  conhdent,  in  spite  ol  the 
nianv  complications  arising  as  a  result  of  the  enactment  of  a 
new  law,  is  more  efficient  and  has  been  ])lace(l  on  a  more  com- 
plete business  basis  than  heretofore. 

Kesj)ecttullv  submitted, 


Coinnn'ssioncrs. 


I 


